Energy Plans Competition for Lab Contracts Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has announced that operating contracts for the department’s four remaining national laboratories will be put up for bids, as required by the 2004 appropriation that was passed by Congress last year. Energy will compete contracts to run Ames, Argonne, Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore laboratories. The department earlier announced it would compete the University of California’s management and operating contract at Los Alamos National Laboratory when it expires next year. The University of California also operates the Berkeley and Livermore labs. Its contracts have never been opened to competition. The University of Chicago manages Argonne National Laboratory. Iowa State University runs the Ames lab, which is on its campus. Energy Department officials had said they would consider whether the laboratory contracts could be unbundled as part of a small business initiative announced by Abraham in 2002. No timetable for the competitions has been established.