FPN03-41

House Committee Acts on Fusion Budget

July 16, 2003

The full House Committee on Appropriations reported out their recommendations for the US Deparment of Energy (DOE) Fiscal Year 2004 budget. The bill now goes to the floor of the House for a vote. The Senate bill is expected to be acted on in the near future.

The full Committee endorsed the action of its Energy and Water Development subcommittee on fusion reported previously (FPN03-40).

The committee also provided the following language with respect to the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences and the inerial confinement fusion programs within the DOE weapons budget:

"FUSION ENERGY SCIENCES

"The Committee recommendation for fusion energy sciences is $268,110,000, an increase of $10,800,000 over the budget request. The Committee is cautiously supportive of the Administration's proposal to re-engage in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, but is disappointed that the budget request provides $12,000,000 in funding for the U.S. ITER effort only at the expense of displacing ongoing domestic fusion research. The additional $10,800,000 includes $4,000,000 for burning plasma experiments, including support for ITER and for the domestic FIRE project, $5,200,000 for fusion technology, and $1,600,000 for advanced design and analysis work. If the Department intends to recommend ITER participation in the fiscal year 2005 budget request, the Committee expects the Department will do so without harm to domestic fusion research or to other programs in the DOE Science budget."

"INERTIAL CONFINEMENT FUSION

"The Committee recommends $511,769,000 for the inertial confinement fusion program, an increase of $45,000,000 over the budget request of $466,769,000. Consistent with the recommendation of the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, the Committee recommendation provides $58,337,000 for Experimental Support Technologies, a reduction of $5,000,000 from the request, but an increase of $27,975,000 over current year. The Committee recognizes the recent successes on the NIF project and expects NNSA to focus on the core NIF projdct to maintain cost and schedule performance. The recommendation includes $25,000,000 ton continue development of high average power lasers and supporing science and technology. The committee recommendation also includes the budget request of $10,467,000 for the Naval Research Laboratory, and $68,132,000 for the University of rochester, and increase of $25,000,000 over the budget request. This additional funding has been provided to the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics for the OMEGA Extended Performance Facility in support of thenation's stockpile stewardship program.

"The Committee recommendation provides $150,000,000 for construction of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the same as the budget request."