Statement from Brookhaven Lab Director on New York State Partnership
January 19, 2015
One of the most important aspects of Brookhaven Science Associates' (BSA's) recent winning proposal to manage and operate Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy was BSA's and New York State's pledge to deepen and strengthen the partnership between the Lab and the State in the area of energy science & technology. The principal partners in BSA are Stony Brook University and Battelle.
This weekend's announcement by Governor Cuomo is a very significant step in advancing that partnership, and we are all very excited to work closely with his administration on the path forward for these projects. We thank the Governor for his vision and leadership in science and technology.
The State is a national leader in green technology and renewable energy. Working together with Stony Brook University, we have an opportunity to make a significant impact on crucial regional challenges including energy storage and development of the next-generation electric grid, and also advance U.S. leadership in fundamental science and computation.
If the Department of Energy decides to pursue an electron ion collider, New York State support will be an important consideration in the case to build it on Long Island. The project would foster the development of fundamental science capabilities, industrial partnerships, and a highly educated workforce—attracting the world's best and brightest nuclear physicists and accelerator scientists to Long Island—and promote the status of New York State, Stony Brook University, and Brookhaven Lab as world leaders in the field.
The State investment in the now-commissioning National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), the brightest synchrotron in the world, will help it attain its full potential over the next decade. Researchers will be able to map the three-dimensional structure of battery materials in real time and under actual operating conditions. This unique New York State capability will advance battery development globally. Benefits will include a greater ability to integrate renewable energy into the grid, reductions in carbon emissions, and more efficient energy storage and use—key elements to New York State becoming a national center for battery and grid science and technology.
Finally, it's crucial for the researchers using NSLS-II to have the capability to manage the enormous amount of data it will generate and view it through rapid analysis in real time. New York State, Brookhaven Lab, and Stony Brook University will lead the way in developing and demonstrating the value of these new data management and analysis capabilities in supporting U.S. industry's product innovation and meeting our national scientific needs.
Among the impacts of this work will be to advance science and technology globally and regionally, educate and attract young researchers to the region, bring thousands of visiting scientists from academia and industry to the State, create new, high-paying jobs, and spin off new companies and technologies that can transform our world. We very much look forward to seeing those efforts—with New York State's vision and support—come to fruition.
— Doon Gibbs
Director, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and President, BSA
2015-11694 | INT/EXT | Newsroom
