FPN24-34

US House of Representatives Passes FY 2025 Appropriations Bill

July 16, 2024

The Appropriations Committee of the US House of Representatives has passed its proposed version of the FY 2025 budget for the Department of Energy. A similar bill remains to be passed in the US Senate. The House version proposes to hold the budget for the DOE Office of Science Fusion Energy Sciences program to a 5 percent increase compared to the current FY 2024 level: $825 million vs. $790 million.

The detailed statement for Fusion Energy Sciences is as follows:

FUSION ENERGY SCIENCES

The Fusion Energy Sciences program supports research and experimentation aiming to harness nuclear fusion for energy production.

The Committee appreciates the fusion community working through a consensus process to develop a comprehensive long-range strategic plan for delivering fusion energy and advancing plasma science and looks forward to the forthcoming recommendations for Fusion Energy Sciences. The Department is directed to consider how to utilize public-private partnerships, international collaborations, existing and new user facilities, academic institutions, and test stands in order to make efficient use of federal funding, avoid duplication, and make progress toward achieving the goal of deploying commercial fusion.

The recommendation provides $98,100,000 for NSTX–U, including NSTX-U Operations and NSTX-U Research.

The recommendation provides not less than $131,500,000 for DIII-D, including DIII-D Operations and DIII-D Research. Upon completion of an upgrade plan, the Department may use from available funds for DIII-D up to $20,000,000 to support activities to enable completion of planned facility enhancements such as additional gyrotrons, new wall and heat management structures, and increased neutral beam power; revitalize critical equipment; and develop new tools to address critical research needs and to secure U.S. leadership in support of ITER and a potential future fusion pilot plant.

The recommendation includes $42,500,000 for the Milestone-Based Development Program.

The recommendation provides $27,000,000 for the high energy density physics program to support the existing joint high-energydensity laboratory plasma program, advance cutting-edge research at universities in extreme states of matter, expand the capabilities of the LaserNetUS facilities, and continue investments in new laser and inertial fusion energy technologies needed to maintain U.S.leadership.

The recommendation provides up to $40,000,000 to support Inertial Fusion Energy research and development.

The recommendation provides $25,000,000 for the Materials Plasma Exposure eXperiment.

The recommendation includes $40,000,000 to support the Fusion Innovation Research Engine collaborations.

Within fusion energy research, the Department is directed to consider advanced manufacturing capabilities in the development of programs related materials, manufacturing, components, and optimization.

The recommendation includes funding for the Alternative and Enabling Concepts program.

The Committee recognizes that a full-scale Fusion Prototypical Neutron Source is a high priority for the fusion community but that the establishment of such a facility remains challenging. As part of the Department's efforts to conduct future facilities studies, the Department shall explore the establishment of a smaller-scale Fusion Prototypical Neutron Source to determine whether it may enable key intermediate steps to accelerate fusion materials research while a full-scale system plan is developed.