For the DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, the President had requested $257.3 million, an increase of $8.8 million. The House committee recommended that this increase not be provided, noting $19.4 million is available to the program from completion of the TFTR decommissioning. Within the total $248.5 recommended, the committee "earmarked" $1.5 million for NSTX and $1 million for NCSX, both at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The Senate committee, on the other hand, recommended $259.3 million, an increase of $2 million over the President's request. The additional increase was earmarked for an evaluation of "the fast ignition concept."

For the inertial confinement fusion program, funded within DOE's weapons program, the House committee added $47 million to the President's request: $25 million for the High Average Power Laser Program; $4 million for petawatt lasers; and $18 million for an upgrade of the Omega laser at the University of Rochester. The Senate committee added $32.5 million to the President's request: $4.5 million for university grants; $13 million for petawatt lasers; and $15 million for NIF cryogenic target development and diagnostics.

Both the House and Senate committees chastised the DOE for proposing to change the name of the inertial confinement fusion program to "High Energy Density" program. The House committee charged the DOE OFES to prepare a fusion energy development plan by March 31, 2003, showing improved integration of magnetic and inertial fusion approaches for energy, and identifying the logical next steps in fusion energy development, including the possibility of re-engaging in ITER.

The Senate committee earmarked the $4.5 million for university grants, directing they go to the University of Texas ($2 million) and to the University of Nevada at Reno ($2.5 million), both grants in support of petawatt laser development. The committee also earmarked the $13 million petawatt laser add-on for Sandia National Laboratories ($5 million), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ($3 million), University of Rochester ($3 million), and $2 million for component development.