Orbach says the review is needed quickly because the project "is projecting substantial (about $40 million) and schedule (about 2 year delay) overruns." "These overruns are large enough to add new burdens on the limited resources of the U.S. fusion energy sciences program, as well as undermine confidence of the Administration and Congress in the ability of the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences and the Office of Science to manage large and technically challenging construction projects," Orbach said. Ray Fonck, head of the U.S. fusion program told FESAC in July that the latest cost estimate for NCSX was about $130 million. Since that time, DOE has held a cost and schedule review of the project. Orbach said that the FESAC review "will comprise part of the set of reviews that will be conducted to inform a decision" on the best course of action. Orbach said that "all options, including termination of the project, must be considered."

Among a series of questions posed, Orbach asked the FESAC to comment on the "role of the stellarator and NCSX in the long-term U.S. fusion energy sciences program" and "what other experimental facilities would be required to develop the required knowledge base" in order for the compact stellarator "to be a viable reactor concept." FESAC chair Stewart Prager has appointed a panel, chaired by Richard Hazeltine, to prepare an answer to the charge. The panel will meet at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory on September 15-16.