When President George H.W. Bush renamed the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in 1991, he touted the “outstanding progress” accomplished at the Golden, Colorado facility.

Bush noted the redesignation as a national lab reflected a “commitment to finding new ways to produce and use energy that is cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable.”

The occasion marked an evolution for the institute — changing with the times, as a scientific institute should do, while embodying an expanded focus to energy sources beyond solar.

Last week, the Trump administration announced the next phase of NREL’s evolution when the Department of Energy renamed it for the second time — calling it the National Laboratory of the Rockies. The lab has an updated mission focusing on all energy sources, not just renewables.

“The energy crisis we face today is unlike the crisis that gave rise to NREL,” Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson stated, referring to the lab’s origins following the global oil crisis of the 1970s. “We are no longer picking and choosing energy sources.”

For all the handwringing from critics, the Trump administration is simply giving the lab an overdue update — just as Bush did 34 years ago.

Laboratory Director Jud Virden praised the lab for having “pushed the boundaries of what’s possible and delivered impact to the nation.” But he made clear the intent behind the rebrand: “This new name embraces a broader applied energy mission entrusted to us by the Department of Energy to deliver a more affordable and secure energy future for all.”

As The Gazette reported, the revamped name and mission advance the Trump administration’s laudable goal of achieving “energy dominance” by slashing “ideologically motivated” regulations and limiting barriers that inflate energy prices.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright brings a wealth of experience as founder and former CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy. He understands the complex regulatory landscape, its burdensome costs and the need to unleash every energy source at our disposal.

And, as a Coloradan, it’s apropos that he would be the one to direct the name change for a Golden-based lab.

Critics of the change, like U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, leave us scratching our heads. Last week, he reduced the administration’s approach to “Drill Baby Drill,” contrasting that idea with “innovation” ensuring “America’s energy economy continues to compete effectively.”

But innovation and competitiveness are precisely what the Trump administration have in mind under Wright’s leadership. Drilling for oil and fracking natural gas are invaluable parts of that vision, just as they should be — but they’re far from all of it.

Wright embraces a critical, all-of-the-above approach: geothermal, nuclear, oil and gas — as well as wind and solar. After years of a harmful “green” war on energy, the pivot toward a diverse energy portfolio is essential.

On that score, Wright has worked diligently on delivering. He’s promoted greater energy innovation; more liquid natural gas exports; ending the war on gas appliances; strengthening grid reliability; streamlining permitting, and pursuing nuclear fission’s enormous potential.

That’s a bold and ambitious vision, not a narrow and backward agenda. It’s about reestablishing America as the global energy leader through innovation across the board.

So, three cheers for an updated 21st Century mission at the National Laboratory of the Rockies — and for the visionary leadership of Colorado’s own Chris Wright.