Contact: Anthony de Bruyn, (512) 499-4363

Date: February 4, 2004

UT System News Release

Regents Authorize Planning for Los Alamos Bid

Listen to the recorded press conference (This is a very large file. To ensure that it works for you, we recommend that you right-click on the link and save to your desktop. Then play the file from there.)

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System on Wednesday authorized planning for a potential bid to operate the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

The regents authorized Chancellor Mark G. Yudof to initiate planning for a potential bid, including seeking industrial partners, using consultants, and contracting for services and supplies.

The regents authorized Yudof to spend up to $500,000 for the planning. If a final decision is made to submit a bid, the process could cost up to $6 million, which would be shared with bidding partners, UT System officials said.

A final decision on whether to bid would be made after the U.S. Department of Energy issues a “request for proposals” on the management and operating contract. The department announced last April that it intends to compete the Los Alamos contract and reiterated that intention on Jan. 27 along with an announcement that it will compete the management contracts for several other national laboratories. The department said on Jan. 27 that it is still considering the timing and procedures for the competition for the Los Alamos contract. The current contract with the University of California for management of the laboratory expires in September 2005.

“We consider the Los Alamos contract to be an exciting opportunity for the UT System, given the science and engineering strengths at the academic and health science institutions across the System,” Yudof said. “The board's action today gives us authority to engage consultants to go forward with the early planning so we will be in a position to make an informed decision about whether to bid when the Energy Department issues an RFP."

Yudof also announced the appointment of Dr. Charles Sorber as special engineering adviser to assist with the planning. Sorber served as interim president of UT Arlington from March 1, 2003, until Feb. 1, 2004, and he was president of UT Permian Basin from 1993 to 2001. In January 2002 he was named the coordinator of the UT System's planning in anticipation that the Department of Energy would open the Sandia National Laboratories contract to bids. The department eventually decided not to take bids on that lab but to extend the current contract.

Sorber will take part in a System-wide task force appointed by Yudof to advise him on the planning process. The task force is headed by Dan Burck, special adviser to the board and the chancellor since 2003. Burck served as chancellor of the UT System from 2000 to 2003, when he was succeeded by Yudof.

The UT System has 15 campuses, including nine academic and six health institutions, an enrollment exceeding 170,000 students, more than 80,000 employees, and an annual operating budget of $7.8 billion.

The motion authorizing UT System to pursue the contract for LANL (PDF, 2/04/04)

Listen to the Press Conference on Los Alamos National Laboratory (This is a very large file. To ensure that it works for you, we recommend that you right-click on the link and save to your desktop. Then play the file from there.)

Watch the archived video of the Board's LANL discussion (2/4/04)

Department of Energy news release (1/27/04)

Department of Energy news release (1/30/03)

UT System statement on Los Alamos (4/30/03)

UT System news release on Dr. Charles Sorber being named interim president of UT Arlington (2/10/03)

UT System news release on Dr. Charles Sorber being named to coordinate the System's proposals for management of Sandia National Laboratories (1/31/02)

More news and support materials from the Meeting of the Board (February 3-4, 2004)