Agency finds innovative ways to streamline processes, accelerate delivery, and increase our buying power, all while taking responsible risks.
National Nuclear Security Administration
March 12, 2021
minute read time
NNSA needs approximately an additional five million square feet of modern office and laboratory space over the next 10 years and approximately 10 million square feet over the next 25 years to deliver on our vital missions to the Nation. To make this happen, NNSA is fashioning innovative ways to streamline processes, accelerate delivery, and increase our buying power, all while emphasizing responsible risk management and constructing top-of-the-line facilities to enhance safety across the Enterprise.
The Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act required the Secretary of Energy to streamline construction for non-complex, non-nuclear, NNSA construction projects less than $100 million. So, in 2019, NNSA began a pilot program to streamline the delivery of four commercial facility construction projects that were under $50 million, including two Emergency Operations Centers (EOC), one of which is located in Livermore, California. NNSA also began streamlining burdensome regulatory requirements which increased the number of construction bidders and reduced the building costs of low-risk nonhazardous facilities.
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) EOC is one pilot project already seeing significant success. In under three months (December 2020 to February 2021), the foundation of its new EOC was laid, concrete poured, and the steel frame of the building topped off, all ahead of schedule and on budget.
NNSA is using an acquisition approach that accelerates the completion (the CD-4 equivalent) date by one year and expects to see a 10-20% cost savings over using traditional line item construction processes.
The new LLNL EOC will comprise approximately 20,500 square feet and will also include Emergency Program Organization functions. It will enable LLNL to more effectively and efficiently respond to operational and energy emergencies, provide emergency assistance so that appropriate response measures are taken to protect the workforce, the public, the environment, and national security.
Estimated to cost $35.2 million, it is expected to be completed by no later than December 2022. Through this and many other efforts, NNSA will continue its essential service to the Nation.