Weeks after scrubbing “renewable energy” from its name, the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, formerly known as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is also shedding workers.

The cuts impacted 134 employees engaged in both research and operations at the laboratory, according to an emailed statement from David Glickson, a spokesperson for the federal research center.  

“These actions were taken to adjust to existing and projected funding levels and alignment with DOE priorities. We recognize the meaningful contributions of those impacted and the role they have played in advancing the laboratory’s work,” Glickson said.

One of the staffers impacted by the layoffs was Justin Daugherty, a communications project lead who helped publicize federal efforts to help farmers and small businesses transition to renewable energy. He suspected layoffs after the DOE announced plans to cut grants for renewable energy research last fall.

“I had sort of accepted that it might be possible. But then it happens, and there’s a grieving to it, right? Especially when it’s a job that you loved at one point,” Daugherty said.

Daughtery, who works remotely for the National Laboratory of the Rockies from Minneapolis, received notice of his termination in a brief video meeting on Monday. He took himself out for a nice meal at a French restaurant afterwards.

More than 3,500 full-time employees worked at the lab in late 2024, according to an archived report summarizing the lab’s scope of work.

It’s unclear if the job cuts impacted particular projects or types of research. A termination letter reviewed by CPR News noted the layoffs were conducted due to “funding constraints, continued budget uncertainty and programmatic shifts.”

The latest cuts are also not the first time the lab has experienced dramatic changes since President Trump returned to office. In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy laid off at least 114 employees at the laboratory. Roughly seven months later, the DOE announced the nation’s premier research center focused on green energy would rebrand as the National Laboratory of the Rockies.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has overseen the name change and job cuts. Before joining the Trump administration, the Colorado resident and former fracking executive earned a reputation as a leading voice for “climate realism,” a right-wing concept arguing that rising global temperatures don’t justify a rapid shift away from fossil fuels. Many experts characterize the movement as the latest coordinated campaign to discredit climate science and any policies designed to cut carbon emissions. 

Additional layoffs could impact the lab in the near future. An appropriations bill recently signed by President Trump sets aside approximately $3.1 billion for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, a primary funding source for NLR. The total represents a 10 percent funding cut for the office — far less than the 75 percent cut initially proposed by the White House.

The lab first opened at the Solar Energy Research Institution in 1977 to help the nation cope with the ongoing global energy crisis. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush designated the institution as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, elevating it to the status of other national labs overseen by the DOE.

The breadth of the lab’s research has grown since then. Today, its employees study everything from energy efficiency windows to hydrogen-powered trucks and cutting-edge geothermal energy systems. 

Trump administration renames Colorado’s National Renewable Energy Lab: the National Lab of the Rockies114 people laid off from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory