Did you see the announcement today? Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory just announced that that Richmond, California will be home to the federal Lab's second campus.

This is great news for our community. The second campus will be located at the Richmond Field Station, located just off Highway 80 in Richmond. It was chosen in a highly competitive process between sites around the East Bay.

I've been supporting the efforts of business, education, and civic leaders in their bid to bring the federal lab's second campus to our community. I know that the community where Rosie the Riveter proclaimed "we can do it" is a city that can still do it and a city that will see economic growth and new jobs, new innovations, and new discoveries because of this announcement.

In early 2011, the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) issued a request for qualifications for sites in the Bay Area for a second campus location. According to LBNL, 20% of their 4,200-person workforce is dispersed at sites throughout the Bay Area. The Lab seeks space to consolidate these personnel at a permanent second location in the Bay Area and provide for new discoveries and for the continued economic growth that they generate.

Working alongside Richmond city officials and local business, labor, and education leaders, we worked throughout 2011 to make the case that Richmond would be the best site for the new campus. The Berkeley Lab, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and managed by the University of California, is one of the Bay Area’s largest employers, and their cutting-edge work in clean energy and energy efficiency has a proven track record of driving innovation and creating new industries and new jobs.

I visited the Berkeley Lab’s campus and its state-of-the-art Advanced Light Source with Lab director Dr. Paul Alivisatos and members of his team in January 2011 to learn more about the cutting-edge work done by the lab's internationally renowned researchers.

I remain impressed by the work that Berkeley Lab researchers perform across the scientific fields. Berkeley Lab researchers have worked towards important scientific breakthroughs, and the laboratory represents the cutting edge when it comes to sustainable energy, human health, and new technologies.

Most recently, one of the Berkeley Lab’s top scientists, Dr. Saul Perlmutter, won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in discovering that the universe’s expansion is accelerating. That prestigious award brings the number of Nobel-winning researchers affiliated with the Berkeley Lab to an even dozen. And more than 50 Nobel Laureates either trained there or had significant collaborations with the Lab. See his recent talk in DC here:

Berkeley Lab's announcement in May 2011 that the Richmond Field Station in Richmond had been selected as one of the six finalists under consideration for the second campus. Richmond Field Station is already owned by the University of California and is located just off Highway 80 in Richmond. The Berkeley Lab had received 20 responses to the Request for Qualifications - many of them in the East Bay. Lab officials evaluated each of the six sites and meet with officials and community leaders.

I joined the Richmond's "Welcome" event via taped video - joining with community leaders in Richmond to encourage the Lab to consider the innovative firms already calling Richmond home. I also spoke of Richmond's tradition and "We Can Do It" attitude - noting that Richmond was where “Rosie the Riveter” first proclaimed “we can do it.”

Watch the taped address that aired during Richmond's Welcome Event in July of 2011.

And see the photos of the event from the City of Richmond.

Credit is due to the business, civic, labor, and education leaders in the city of Richmond for their leadership and vision in bringing the Berkeley Lab's second campus to Richmond. I am proud to have worked with them to support this effort that will bring jobs to our community and help build our local economy.

Stay tuned to my blog for updates about the LBNL announcement.