FPN10-09

FY 2011 President's Budget Submitted to Congress

February 1, 2010

President Obama submitted his FY 2011 budget to Congress on February 1. He asked for $3.8 trillion, including a projected record deficit of $1.6 trillion. The proposal is estimated at 10.6% of GDP. He is proposing a new debt commission to come up with recommendations to reduce the deficit to 3% of GDP.

The Department of Energy would receive $28.4 B compared to $26.6 B appropriated in FY 2010. However, the DOE also received $36.7 B in "stimulus" funds so the FY 2011 budget reflects a real decline in overall spending. The budget requests $5.1 B for the Office of Science compared to $4.9 B appropriated in FY 2010. However, the Office of Science also received $1.6 B in "stimulus" funding so that the Office of Management and Budget estimates the Office of Science FY 2011 spending will be approximately level with that in FY 2010..

Within the Office of Science, the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences OFES) would receive $380 M, compared to $395 M appropriated in FY 2009 and $426 M appropriated in FY 2010. However, the OFES also received $91 M in "stimulus" funding, so that the Office of Management and Budget estimates the real OFES spending to be $468 M in FY 2009 and an estimated $444 M in FY 2010. Not counting the stimulus funding, the OFES states that the budget reduction of $46 M is taken by reducing planned expenditures for ITER by $55 M, reducing some other programs by $3 M and increasing other programs by $12 M.

OFES asks for $80 M for ITER in FY 2011 compared to $135 M provided in FY 2010. OFES says the reduction reflects "the slow rate of progress by the ITER Organization and some Members Domestic Agencies who are responsible for critical path hardware components, which has delayed the construction schedule." They also cite "design changes and other actions affecting hardware scope and manufacturing costs, and French and EU licensing and regulatory requirements." The original ITER cost and schedule, provided to Congress in 2006, called for the U.S. to have spent $665 M through the end of FY 2010 towards a total cost to the U.S. of $1.12 B. Currently the U.S. is on track to have spent only $471 M through the end of FY 2010. The FY 2011 budget submission no longer provides U.S. ITER funding needs beyond FY 2011, saying only that they are "to be determined." The budget document states that the best estimate is that U.S. ITER costs will likely be between $1.45 B and $2.2 B, consistent with a previously revised estimate.

Of the $12M increase requested for non-ITER (domestic) fusion programs of OFES, $6.5 M is requested for "a significant expansion of the Fusion Energy Sciences High Energy Density Laboratory Physics initiative launched in FY 2009." Other increases include $2 M for Fusion Simulation Program, $2.3 M for DIII-D, and $1 M each for Alcator C-Mod and NSTX. Materials research would receive an increase of $0.5 M.

Within the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Inertial Confinement Fusion Ignition and High Yield Campaign would receive $482 M, compared to $437 M in FY 2009 and $458 M in FY2010. Most of the increase would be provided for "NIF Diagnostics, Cryogenics, and Experimental Support."

Further details can be found at:

http://www.cfo.doe.gov/budget/11budget/index.htm

and http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2011/assets/doe.pdf