Image: NREL

The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has laid off 114 staff members due to federal budget uncertainties and proposed funding reductions impacting the Department of Energy (DOE).

According to confirmation from an NREL spokesperson to PV Tech, the layoffs include both employees and subcontractors in research and operations roles at NREL’s headquarters in Golden, Colorado. The Colorado Sun first reported the news.

As the DOE’s primary lab for energy systems research, NREL plays a key role in advancing solar PV, energy storage, grid modernization, and clean energy resilience through its 16 research programs and two national centers. Despite the staffing cuts, NREL continues to publish significant findings, including a recent study highlighting the potential of floating solar PV (FPV) to add 1TW of capacity in the U.S.

“NREL continues to navigate a complex financial and operational landscape shaped by the issuance of stop work orders from federal agencies, new federal directives, and budgetary shifts,” the lab said in a statement. “As a result, NREL has experienced workforce impacts affecting 114 employees across the laboratory, including staff from both research and operations.”

The announcement follows a White House proposal to slash the DOE’s 2025 budget by US$20.3 billion. Programs most likely to be affected include the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) division—home to the Solar Energy Technologies Office—with a proposed cut of US$2.6 billion, and the Office of Science, facing a potential reduction of US$1.1 billion. The latter oversees ten of the DOE’s national labs, including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Despite the setbacks, NREL emphasized the importance of its mission: "We are grateful for the dedication and commitment of our staff as we continue to advance the laboratory’s work to secure a clean and affordable energy future."