BY MAIRE O’NEILL
losalamosreporter.com
The announcement came Tuesday from the Department of Energy NNSA that Triad LLC’s management and operating contract for Los Alamos National Laboratory has been extended from Nov. 1, 2023 through Oct. 30, 2028.
LANL Director and Triad President/CEO Thom Mason said this is a direct result of the hard work and dedication the workforce has provided to the Laboratory over the past four years.
“We are grateful for the confidence NNSA has shown in Triad leadership with this contract extension and are looking forward to building on the positive momentum we have created as a Laboratory to maintain the Lab’s status as a scientific and technological leader and a great place to work,” he said.
Mason told Lab employees that their efforts have been vital to preserving and strengthening national security and that the company is looking forwarding to building on those achievements.
“It is my hope that the stability and continuity of focus this extension provides will help propel our missions forward without disruption,” he said. “NNSA’s continued confidence in Triad’s leadership of the Laboratory is a recognition of the positive gains we have made as an institution since 2018 and the growing strength of our partnership.”
The NNSA news release noted that Option Periods 1 through 5 of the Triad have been exercised. Triad is made up of three entities: Battelle Memorial Institute, The Texas A&M University System and the University of California. Exercising Option Periods 1 through 5 is the most advantageous method of fulfilling the mission needs of NNSA, considering current price, past performance, and most importantly, the immediate need for continuity of performance during Fiscal Years 2023 through 2028.
“As a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, the Los Alamos National Laboratory aligns its strategic plan with priorities set by the Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration, and key national strategy guidance documents, such as the Administration’s Nuclear Posture Review, the National Security Strategy, and the Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future. As the senior laboratory in the DOE system, LANL executes work on all of DOE’s missions: national security, science, energy, and environmental management,” the NNSA release stated. “In addition, Los Alamos National Laboratory performs work for the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and Department of Homeland Security, among others. As a result, LANL strategy reflects U.S. priorities spanning nuclear security, intelligence, defense, emergency response, nonproliferation, counterterrorism, energy security, emerging threats, and environmental management.”