For the DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (OFES), $250 million was appropriated, compared to the President's request for $257 million and a FY 2002 level of $248 million. Details of the OFES program are expected to be discussed at a forthcoming public meeting of the DOE Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee, scheduled for March 5-6 in Gaithersburg, MD.

The inertial confinement fusion program, funded under the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration, received $504 million (which includes $214 million for continued construction of the National Ignition Facility), compared to the President's request for $453 million and a FY 2002 level of $507 million. The appropriated amount includes $22 million for the congressionally mandated High Average Power Laser (HAPL) program, for which, as always, DOE asked for no money. The HAPL program was appropriated $24 million in FY 2002.

The appropriations bill also mandates an "across the board" cut of between 0.6% and 0.7% for all programs to offset additional domestic spending in other areas of the federal budget.

The following language accompanied the omnibus appropriations bill with respect to the fusion energy sciences program:

"Fusion energy sciences.--The conference agreement includes $250,000,000 for fusion energy sciences, an increase of $1,505,000 over fiscal year 2002. The conferees note that the fiscal year 2002 funding level included $19,604,000 for the completion of decontamination and decommissioning of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR), leaving $228,891,000 available for fusion research and facility operations in fiscal year 2002. By comparison, the conference agreement for fiscal year 2003 makes this $19,604,000, plus an additional $1,505,000, available for fusion research and facility operations, an increase of 9.2 percent over the comparable amount available in fiscal year 2002.

"Within the funding available for fusion energy sciences, the Department should make additional funding of $1,500,000 available to the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory to support the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) research, NSTX operations, and preliminary design for the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX). Within available funding, the Department should report back to the Appropriations Committees no later than August 1, 2003, with an evaluation of the "fast ignition" concept and with any recommendations regarding the schedule and milestones of the High Energy Density Physics Program. "

The following language accompanied the omnibus appropriations bill with respect to the inertial confinement fusion program:

"For inertial confinement fusion, the conference agreement provides $504,293,000, an increase of $52,500,000 over the budget request, and includes several program funding adjustments. The conference agreement includes $10,000,000 for the Naval Research Laboratory, the same as the budget request. Funding of $22,000,000 has been provided to further development of high average power lasers.

"The conference agreement includes $36,400,000, the same as the budget request, for the on-going program at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester. An increase of $13,000,000 over the budget request is provided for the University of Rochester for the Omega Extended Performance Facility to enhance the capabilities of the Omega facility in support of the nation's stockpile stewardship program by providing additional high-energy, high-intensity beams to be used with the existing Omega facility.

"The conference agreement provides an additional $8,000,000 for enhanced national Ignition Facility (NIF) diagnostics and/or cryogenic target activities, and $214,045,000, the same as the budget request, for continued construction of the NIF.

"For petawatt laser capabilities, funding of $5,000,000 is provided to modify the beamlet laser at the Sandia national laboratories and $1,000,000 is provided for technical community activities in developing critical short-pulse, high power laser technology.

"The conferees have provided an additional $3,500,000 for university grants/other ICF support. This includes $2,500,000 for installation, operation, and continued research and development on a petawatt laser at the University of Nevada-Reno, and $1,000,000 for short pulse, high power laser development at the University of Texas."

Fusion Program Notes are archived at http://fusionpower.org