FPN09-05

Fusion in the Stimulus Package

February 17, 2009

Fusion research may benefit from the U.S. economic stimulus bill recently passed by Congress. The package contains $1.6 billion for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, of which fusion is a part. A summary of the bill, issued by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi notes the Office of Science "funds research in such areas as climate science, biofuels, high-energy physics and fusion energy sciences -- areas crucial to our energy future."

The bill also provides $400 million for a new office in DOE called ARPA-E "to support high-risk, high-payoff research into energy sources and energy efficiency in collaboration with industry."

Pelosi's summary is posted at http://fire.pppl.gov

The full text of the spending portion of the bill is posted at:

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/h1/Recovery_Bill_Div_A.pdf

Tax aspects of the bill are posted at:

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/h1/Recovery_Bill_Div_B.pdf