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Gov.
Blagojevich Announces $70 Million Financing for New World-Class
Supercomputing Facility at Argonne National Laboratory
Theory and
Computing Sciences Building Expected to House the World's Fastest
Computers
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[December 06, 2007]
CHICAGO -- Gov. Rod R.
Blagojevich announced on Tuesday a significant investment that will
enable the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory
to house the world's most advanced supercomputers. Financed by $70
million in bonds issued by the Illinois Finance Authority, the new
Theory and Computing Sciences Building will be located on Argonne's
campus in DuPage County. The new world-class facility will allow
Illinois scientists to apply breakthroughs in supercomputing and
pursue advances in nanotechnology, climate change, protein modeling
and more, solidifying the fastest growing research program in
Argonne's history.
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 "This world-class project, which will happen here in Illinois, will
help scientists propel the American leadership in technology and
engineering for decades to come," Blagojevich said. "I want to
commend Argonne National Laboratory and the Department of Energy for
their far-reaching vision and the Illinois Finance Authority for
helping to support this project."Located on the boundary of
Argonne's secure perimeter, the approximately 200,000-square-foot
facility will be home to over 600 laboratory employees and will
house research groups using one of the fastest computers -- the IBM
Blue Gene/P -- to answer huge scientific questions.
Additionally, the facility will include an 18,000-square-foot
centralized library, computational research labs and a conference
center.
"We have worked diligently with our colleagues in the state of
Illinois to leverage the economics of this innovative model of
federal, state and private-sector cooperation, and appreciate
the governor's and the state's support in advancing Argonne's
contribution to science," said Dr. Robert Rosner, Argonne's
laboratory director.
The Illinois Finance Authority issued the bonds that will provide
financing for the project to a Delaware statutory trust, as part of
a public-private financing and leasing agreement thought to be the
first of its kind. By allowing private-sector market forces to bear
strongly in this process, this new facility should save the
government over $10 million in life-cycle cost savings.
"Financing this facility will strengthen a world-renowned science
center; it will further build our Illinois Technology and Research
Corridor and stimulate positive growth in Illinois," said Kym M.
Hubbard, executive director of the Illinois Finance Authority.
"Spurring economic growth and leadership is a mission Governor
Blagojevich has given IFA to accomplish, and that is what we are
doing."
Under the terms of the arrangement, the U.S. Department of Energy
will lease the land to the trust. The trust will hire a
designer-builder. Responsibility for payment of the Series 2007
bonds will lie with the trust.
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"From its very beginning, computing has been an aid to the
advancement of science; however, somewhere along the line there was
a sea change," said Michael Turner, Argonne's chief scientist.
"Computing is no longer just an aid; it is essential to almost every
aspect of science and engineering across all disciplines. By
focusing on the most challenging problems, this facility will enable
breakthroughs across the broad frontier of science and engineering,
benefiting both science and society. While we can imagine some of
the breakthroughs that will come early on, we can only dream about
those that will come over the long lifetime of this facility."
Blagojevich has supported over $93 million in funding for
projects at Argonne National Laboratory since the beginning of his
administration. Among these important technology projects are the
Center for Nanoscale Materials, the Advanced Protein Crystallization
Facility and I-WIRE. These investments have been part of the
governor's aggressive strategy to spur scientific and economic
growth and create more jobs throughout northeast Illinois.
Argonne National Laboratory, a renowned research and development
center, brings the world's brightest scientists and engineers
together to find exciting and creative new solutions to pressing
national problems in science and technology. The nation's first
national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied
scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline.
Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of
companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies
to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's
scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future.
With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by
UChicago Argonne, LLC
for the U.S. Department of Energy's
Office of Science.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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