The agreement provides $264.1 M, to DOE's Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, an increase of $6.8 M over the Presidents request. It directs this money be provided to non-ITER-related activities to domestic fusion programs that had been largely eliminated in the fusion technology areas in the President's budget. It also provides $517.3 M to DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration's inertial confinement fusion program, an increase of $50.5 M over the President's request.

The agreement provides $25 M to continue the high average power laser program. For several years DOE has consistently refused to request funds for this program and Congress has consistently added the funds for this excellent program. The agreement also provides $4 M to "initiate assessments and initial development and testing of Z-pinch inertial fusion energy. These two programs are to be funded within the DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration's inertial confinement fusion program.

The text of the conferee's report is as follows:

Fusion energy sciences.--The conference agreement includes $264,110,000 for fusion energy sciences, an increase of $6,800,000 over the budget request. The budget request proposed $12,000,000 for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), but did so by displacing $10,800,000 of ongoing domestic fusion research. The conference agreement provides $8,000,000 for ITER activities in fiscal year 2004, and restores $6,800,000 to domestic fusion research. The conferees strongly caution the Department against submitting any future budget requests for ITER that are funded at the expense of domestic research.

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Ignition and High Yield.--The conferees include $517,269,000 for the inertial confinement fusion ignition and high yield program, an increase of $50,500,000 over the budget request.

National Ignition Facility.--Within the funds provided, $150,000,000 is for National Ignition Facility (NIF) construction, Project 96-D-111, and $367,269,000 is for the ICF ignition and high yield program. Within the funds provided for the NIF program, the conferees direct the Department to fund a public-private research and development activity focused on damage resistant gratings at not less than $1,000,000.

The conferees note that NIF construction funds and NIF program funds have been provided consistent with the Administration's request, but are concerned that these budget figures are not consistent with the revised NIF baseline due to the Department's decision to fund a variety of NIF-related projects and programs within the overall NIF program. While the conferees are supportive of these activities and believe them necessary to achieve the goal of ignition, they strongly recommend that the Department submit future budgets that fund these activities as one or more separate line items.

Inertial Fusion Technology.--The conferees also include $25,000,000 to continue development of high average power lasers and supporting science and technology, the budget request of $10,467,000 for the Naval Research Laboratory, and $63,132,000 for the University of Rochester, an increase of $20,000,000 over the budget request. The additional funding is provided to the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics for the OMEGA Extended Performance (EP) Facility in support of the Nation's stockpile stewardship program. The conferees expect additional funding requirements to complete Omega EP construction will be included by the Department in future budget requests. Additionally, the conferees provide funding of $4,000,000 to initiate assessments and initial development and testing of Z-Pinch inertial fusion energy.

Petawatt Lasers.--The conferees also include an additional $4,500,000 for university grants and other support. Within this amount, $2,500,000 is provided for the continued development of an ultra short-pulse petawatt laser at the University of Texas; and $2,000,000 is provided to continue short-pulse laser development and research at the University of Nevada-Reno.

The conferees agree with the Senate position that high intensity laser physics enables major new areas of science and engineering endeavor in the United States and that advances in this field will enable important progress in critical aspects of basic science, fusion energy, and national security. A robust, coordinated program in high intensity lasers will affordably maintain U.S. leadership in this critically important area. Accordingly, the conferees direct the Department to pursue a joint high intensity laser program with the National Science Foundation. The conferees further direct the NNSA and the Department's Office of Science to develop, in collaboration with the NSF, a report that identifies the benefits and disadvantages of multi-agency coordinated research in high intensity laser science and delineates how a joint program in this area will be structured. This report shall be delivered to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations no later than April 15, 2004.