FPN08-05

FY2009 Budget Request

February 5, 2008

President Bush has sent a $3.1 trillion budget to Congress for fiscal year 2009, which begins October 1, 2008. The amount projects a budget deficit of $407 billion. The Washington Post reports that the plan "omits several costly features, including tens of billions of dollars of the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that could drive the deficit even higher than the president's estimates." Under the plan, the Defense Department would receive $515 B, a 7.5% increase over FY2008; the Department of Homeland Security would receive $37.6 B, a 7.7% increase; and the Department of State would receive $38.2 B, a 16.5% increase. According to the Post, the total for "national defense" activities would be $670.7 B or 21% of the budget. Other large portions of the budget are Social Security ($644 B), Medicare and Medicaid ($632 B) and interest on the national debt ($260 B).

The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) would receive a $1.13 B increase (4.7%) to $25.015 B. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman praised the budget, calling it "the largest requested increase in five years." The DOE budget increase would include an increase of $842 M (5.6%) for National Defense Activities (to $15.955 B); a $749 M increase (18.8%) for the Office of Science (to $4.722 B), and an increase of $223 M (24.6%) for Fossil Energy Programs (to $1.127 B). These increases are partially offset by decreases in some other programs, notably Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (-$467 M), Nuclear Energy (-$108 M) and Uranium Enrichment Fund (-$141 M).

Within the Office of Science, High Energy Physics would receive an increase of $115 M (16.8%) over FY 2008; Nuclear Physics would receive an increase of $77.4 M (17.9%); Basic Energy Sciences an increase of $298 M (23.5%), Science Laboratories Infrastructure an increase of $110 M (64.9%); Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists an increase of $13.6 M (68.9%).

The Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (OFES) would receive $214.5 M toward the international ITER construction project. The planned expenditure profile for ITER construction called for $160 M in FY 2008 and $214 M in FY 2009. However, Congress only appropriated $10.6 M for ITER in FY 2008. DOE has revised its projected contribution to the ITER project upwards from a previous "cap" of $1.122 B to a "range" of $1.45 B to $2.2 B. DOE cites as reasons the FY 2008 appropriations reduction for ITER and a revised baseline design and schedule expected from the international ITER organanization this summer.The U.S. domestic fusion energy sciences program (exclusive of ITER) would receive $278.5 M in FY 2009, compared to $276. M in FY 2008, a one percent increase, according to the president's budget request.

Withn DOE's weapons programs (NNSA), the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) program would receive $428.2 M compared to $479.3 M in FY 2008. The decrease is a result of NNSA once again failing to maintain funding ($29.4 M) for the energy-related technologies of inertial fusion and cost reductions associated with completion of NIF construction and assembly. DOE states in the budget document: "While ICF facilities have fusion energy applications, the development of inertial fusion as an energy source is not an NNSA mission."

Funding for the recently-established Joint (OFES-NNSA) Program in High Energy Density Laboratory Plasmas (HEDLP) would increase from $28.237 M to $34.783 M. The $6.546 M increase would be the net of an increase of $8.694 M from OFES and a decrease of $2.148 M from NNSA. The proposed funding distribution for FY 2009 is $24.636 from OFES and $10.147 from NNSA. The budget document indicates an OFES intention to establish a new HEDLP program at LLNL.

The budget document assumes that OFES will decide to continue fabrication of the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX). DOE requests an increase of $3.66 M for NCSX and requests decreases of $2.8 M for DIII-D, $1.33 M for Alcator C-Mod and $2.8 M for NSTX operations. Other significant decreases are requested for termination of the spherical torus experiment at LLNL (-$2.3 M), the stellarator at ORNL (-$1.1 M) and materials research (-$1.0 M). Significant increases are requested for Issues Analysis Studies ($2 M), and a (new) Fusion Simulation Project ($1.98 M),