As seen from the west on Broadway Street, the demolition site at the National Energy Technology Lab looked like this on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 1, 2026.
Prompted by the demolition of a building at the campus of the National Energy Technology Lab, rumors are flying about what the U.S. Department of Energy has in mind for the Albany site.
You’d think that a nationally significant institution with a long history in Albany would let the town know what is going on. But so far, no luck trying to get details.
From outside the perimeter of the fenced and guarded campus, it’s easy to see the demolition of a steel building on the south side. Nearby, contractors have built what looks like an asphalt pad or foundation.
When I reached someone this week, all I learned was that a “lab” was being demolished. Further questions were referred to the spokeswoman for the Energy Department’s network of national technology labs in Morgantown, WV.
As I reported previously, the government’s plan to demolish the historic “Building 2” on the Broadway Street side of the former Bureau of Mines has been “on hold” for quite a while. The demolition now taking place is unrelated to that issue.
This morning I got word that the lack of public explanation has had predictable results. “Rumor at this morning’s coffee is that the City of Albany has been notified that ALL buildings on the property will be removed,” someone told me. “What does the future hold for this prime acreage? Does the city know?”
No, the city does not know. “I have not heard of anything,” Community Development Director Matthew Ruettgers said.
As a federal government site, the NETL is exempt from local requirement for demolition or building permits.
I have renewed my emailed request for information from the federal agency. If it gets any results, I’ll let you know. (hh)
I asked Google A.I.:
“The recent demolition of structures at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) campus in Albany, Oregon, is part of a broader, federally-funded modernization effort rather than a total site closure. While historical rumors of closure have existed, current plans involve significant reinvestment to transform the aging site into a state-of-the-art research hub.
Current Demolition and Modernization Projects
The visible activity at the Albany campus is primarily driven by two major infrastructure initiatives:
Advanced Alloys Signature Center (AASC): The Department of Energy (DOE) is revamping Building 34 to house the AASC. This project involves a significant demolition of existing structures and equipment to make way for a renovated facility that will add approximately 2,778 square feet to the building’s footprint.
Removal of Building B-2: NETL recently proposed the demolition of a structure known as B-2 to mitigate health and safety concerns caused by its decayed state. This building, which had not been used since the 1990s, was determined by the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office to be a contributing element of a potential historic district, necessitating specialized environmental and cultural reviews.
Future Plans for the Albany Site
The DOE is leveraging funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to modernize the campus. Specific investments include:
Infrastructure Investment: NETL is directing a portion of a $150 million IRA investment toward site-wide infrastructure and laboratory upgrades at all three of its sites, including Albany.
Specialty Alloy Prototyping: The Albany site will focus on the Advanced Alloy Development Center, which will prototype specialty alloys for clean energy technologies like hydrogen transport.
Extended Research Mission: The site will continue to focus on advanced structural materials, critical minerals, and subsurface technologies, utilizing its unique melt processing lab capable of handling metal batches up to 500 pounds.
Context of “Site Closure” Rumors
Rumors regarding the closure of the Albany site often stem from historical budget proposals. In 2017, a presidential budget proposal specifically suggested closing the NETL Albany site, which would have impacted approximately 150 jobs at the time. However, the current administration’s strategy focuses on modernization over seven years to support climate goals and achieve a net-zero economy by 2050.
Summary of NETL Albany Modernization
Project Component Description
Building 34 Being renovated and expanded for the Advanced Alloys Signature Center.
Building B-2 Slated for demolition due to decay and safety hazards.
Funding Source $150 million total from the Inflation Reduction Act for all NETL sites.
Primary Mission Developing high-performance alloys and subsurface technologies for extreme environments.”
It seems like everytime you talk to someone at the city it’s always someone new with a different title, Hasso. Just how many people and different departments are there? Albany is not that big.
I was able to get a brief statement from Shelley Martin last week: she said B34 is being torn down to make way for the Advanced Alloy Signature Center. As far as I know, no other buildings are being affected. Still waiting on an environmental impact statement from NETL, though I don’t think that building has been used in awhile. B34 was built as an auto recycling smelter.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/651830194980931/permalink/3262084910622100/ From the Historical Significance of the Albany Research Center (Us Bureau of Mines) page on Facebook ran by Tai Stith
As someone who grew up just down Liberty from the Bureau of Mines (at 26th and Liberty) I remember when that facility was added on to the Mines. It was to develop coal gasification during the energy crisis in the early 70s. That R&D work was eventually transferred to a fully functional facility in Beulah, North Dakota, the US Synfuels plant. Here is an interesting factoid, in the 60s the open field to the south of the Bureau of Mines was leased by the US govt to a cattle rancher / Oregon State (heard both) and there were cattle grazing there. The field was surrounded by an electric fence that would zap us if we touched it. Eventually the cows were removed and the fence was de-energized. That field was where we had good times as kids
This sounds great but a bit hokey. Maybe it refers to the Biden administration which means it is outdated news. “Clean energy technologies” definitely doesn’t sound like something the current administration would be promoting.
ha ha blame Biden. Good lord, when does this bs end?
Oh please, enough.