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FPN05-38

Orbach Calls Fusion Cuts "Reorientation"

May 5, 2005

Testifying at a recent hearing of the House Science Committee, Subcommittee on Energy, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science Director Ray Orbach said "In the FY 2006 budget, we have had to reduce somewhat the domestic (fusion) program, but I would like to look at that in terms of a reorientation of the domestic program rather than a reduction." The FY 2006 budget request reduces the U. S. domestic fusion effort by $34 million, resulting in, among other things, termination of the fusion materials program, halving the effort on heavy ion fusion, reductions in ongoing tokamak experiments and theory, reductions in non-tokamak (alternate concept) research, and reductions in enabling technology.

Orbach's comments were in response to criticism from Subcommittee Chair Judy Biggert (R-IL) who asked about the status of the ITER project and its impact on funding for the domestic fusion program. Biggert stated, "I am very concerned about the significant amount of our limited resources that this budget has allocated to the international fusion experiment known as ITER, which doesn't even have a home yet. And considering that the patience of this committee is growing thin, as we continue to wait for the DOE to respond to our written questions from a full committee hearing on the President's budget held over two months ago, I must again express skepticism and concern about the moving target that is the U.S. contribution to the ITER project. I certainly hope this is something we can nail down, and soon."