The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 marks the single largest investment in climate and energy in American history. IRA funding is enabling America to tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice and secure its position as a world leader in domestic clean energy manufacturing. The investment puts the United States on a clear pathway to achieving the Biden Administration’s climate goals, including a net-zero economy by 2050.  As part of the historic IRA investment, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is providing $1.5 billion to advance the mission of DOE’s national laboratories. 

“America’s commitment to science and ingenuity shaped us into the world leaders we are today, and the continued success of our national laboratories will ensure we’re at the global forefront of innovation for generations to come,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. ​“Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, these world-class institutions will receive $1.5 billion — one of the largest ever investments in national laboratory infrastructure… to develop advanced energy and manufacturing technologies we need to advance the frontiers of science and tackle tomorrow’s challenges.” 

DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory will receive funding to accelerate science for U.S. prosperity and security in three key areas:

• $54M of IRA funding is helping create the Aurora exascale computer. This next-generation supercomputer slated to go online next year will be one of the fastest computers in the world, providing unprecedented capability to leverage artificial intelligence and simulation for transformative scientific discoveries.  Housed in the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, a DOE Office of Science user facility, Aurora will help scientists solve pressing problems such as efficient clean energy, new medicines, faster and more Earth-friendly electronics, and national security.
• $4M in IRA funds will help Argonne build a waste heat recovery system to make the Lab’s Lemont, Illinois campus more energy efficient. By reusing waste heat from Argonne’s facilities, the Lab will reduce the natural gas burned on its campus, saving 1,400 metric tons of carbon from going into the atmosphere each year.
• Argonne’s Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM), also a DOE Office of Science user facility, will benefit from $20M in IRA funding providing new tools across five DOE research centers. CNM makes more than 100 tools and capabilities for nanoscience and nanotechnology research available to scientists from across the country, powering the discovery of new materials for energy, information science and the environment.

“With these increased resources, we will be better equipped to fulfill our mission for the nation. We will further accelerate the science and technology that drive U.S. prosperity and security,” said Argonne Director Paul K. Kearns.  ​“All of this is possible due to the exceptional support of the White House, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Office of Science.”