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U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park on Tuesday, May 27. The stop was Wright’s first Bay Area visit in a nationwide tour of all 17 national energy laboratories.
SLAC, which is a Department of Energy Office of Science national laboratory run by Stanford University, conducts research into fusion energy, X-rays, quantum information science and microelectronics.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to host Secretary Wright and showcase the expertise, creativity and collaboration driving the real-world impact of our work,” SLAC Director John Sarrao said in a press release. “Through our strong partnership with the DOE and with Stanford University, we enable research and technology that benefit the nation and are uniquely achievable here.”
Later this week, Wright will visit the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
While at SLAC, Wright reportedly toured the Linac Coherent Light Source, the world’s most powerful X-ray laser, which allows scientists to view atomic and molecular changes unfold.
“Discussions (between scientists and Wright) emphasized the lab’s commitment to scientific discovery and technology innovation across a wide range of disciplines,” a press release said.
“Our Labs are at the forefront of innovation here in the U.S. and the gemstone of our department — I can’t wait to learn more about what they’re working on,” Wright said via X before his visit.
Wright hopes to “unleash the golden era of American energy dominance” by prioritizing research and development focused on “nuclear fusion, high-performance computing, quantum computing and artificial intelligence,” according to his first secretarial order on Feb. 5, 2025.
He also hopes to launch an “American nuclear (energy) renaissance.”
Wright recently testified before Congress to defend a proposed 18% cut to the Office of Science’s budget as part of the Trump administration’s proposed budget. The Office of Science funds much of SLAC’s research.
Wright said the nation’s laboratories will be able to “do more with less.”
“We’ve been given a mandate from the whole administration to look like a businessman at all the departments and figure out how you can deliver improved services at lower cost inefficiencies,” Wright told Congress. “I’m a believer that with a leaner, more focused team, we can deliver better results.”
The Association of American Universities, which includes Stanford, criticized the cuts and claimed it would harm the United States’ leadership in science and innovation.
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