INL director talks about future challenges

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - The biggest challenge for the Idaho National Lab may be in its expansion plans.

Director John Wagner spoke to the City Club Friday on the Idaho State University campus in Idaho Falls.

He offered updates on current goals like achieving zero-net carbon emissions in the next 10 years.

Some ideas include replacing diesel generators with electric ones and converting the transportation fleet with diesel-powered buses.

He also cited their new electric grid test bed and developing mico-reactors and their work in cyber-security.

But Wagner says finding the right people is their biggest hurdle at the moment.

"A big challenge for us is work force. We are growing and in our whole area that we work within, clean energy, and national security is also a growing area because of the challenges the nation and the world face," Wagner said. "So we have basically we need to grow quite a bit. We are in, y'know, competing with many other organizations with respect to talent."

There are more than 100 jobs listed on the INL website.

Wagner says the average pay is more than 100-thousand dollars a year.