What Pacific Northwest National Laboratory does
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory focused on mission-driven research and technology development across energy and the environment, fundamental scientific discovery, and national security. PNNL is operated by Battelle for DOE under a management and operations framework, with the lab describing itself as a multiprogram, government-supported research organization serving DOE Office of Science and other federal sponsors.
Strategically, PNNL combines (1) large-scale scientific infrastructure (including DOE Office of Science user facilities) with (2) computing and data-driven capabilities applied to real-world decision needs (e.g., grid reliability, wildfire risk policy, nuclear and radiological assessment workflows). It also places emphasis on technology transition and commercialization/transfer to industry, including licensing and deployment preparation for grid-monitoring software and related tools.
As of 2026-09-23, PNNL leadership includes Laboratory Director Deborah (Deb) Gracio, with a senior research and operations team spanning science and technology, operations, finance/business services, national security, and computing/information technology leadership.