The Subcommittee's recommendations are as follows;

FUSION ENERGY SCIENCES

Fusion Energy Sciences conducts basic science research and experimentation seeking to harness nuclear fusion for energy production purposes. The Committee recommends $406,000,000 for fusion energy sciences, $30,537,000 above fiscal year 2011 and $6,300,000 above the request.

While the National Nuclear Security Administration performs inertial confinement fusion research for nuclear stockpile stewardship, the Office of Science has historically focused on magnetic confinement fusion and other related research. The Committee continues to strongly support magnetic confinement fusion research both as a source of American scientific leadership and expertise, and as a long-term effort to develop a clean energy alternative powered by domestic resources. As a result of the program¹s sole focus on magnetic fusion energy, however, the Office of Science¹s program does not have a broad framework for pursuing research avenues related to inertial fusion energy. In anticipation of achieving ignition at the National Ignition Facility‹a critical milestone in the demonstration of inertial confinement fusion¹s feasibility for energy production‹ the Department has commissioned a National Academies study assessing the prospects for power generation with inertial fusion energy and identifying obstacles and challenges that will assist in developing a research and development roadmap. The Committee supports this study and encourages the Department to move quickly upon completion of the report to determine a proposed path forward for inertial fusion energy in the event ignition is achieved. Further, the Committee remains concerned that research expertise may be lost while the Department awaits completion of the National Academies study, which is not due until July of 2012.

The Committee urges the Department to fully evaluate existing research capabilities that do not fit easily within the existing weapons- focused inertial and energy-focused magnetic confinement fusion programs, such as krypton fluoride lasers and magneto-inertial fusion, but that may play important roles if an inertial fusion energy program moves forward in future years. The Department should take action to avoid irreversible losses in expertise in these areas before completion of the National Academies study.

The budget request proposes $105,000,000 for ITER, the first full-scale test reactor for fusion energy. The Committee supports this project as an important step in the development of fusion energy and takes seriously the Department¹s commitments to international collaborations. However, the Department of Energy¹s required contribution to ITER is expected to increase substantially in the next several years, and the Committee is concerned that, while funding for ITER will yield important advances to domestic superconductor and other manufacturing capabilities, it may leave little budgetary room to continue supporting critical American fusion science expertise. Further, the Department has not preemptively indicated how it is planning for this impending budgetary challenge, nor has it created a clear prioritization of activities within Fusion Energy Sciences to guide tradeoffs when budgets are tight. The Department is therefore directed to submit a 10-year plan, not later than 12 months after enactment of this Act, on the Department¹s proposed research and development activities in magnetic fusion under four realistic budget scenarios. The report shall (1) identify specific areas of fusion energy research and enabling technology development in which the United States can and should establish or solidify a lead in the global fusion energy development effort, and (2) identify priorities for facility construction and facility decommissioning under each of the four budget scenarios. The Department is encouraged to use a similar approach adopted by the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel that developed a 10- year strategic plan for the Department¹s high energy physics program.

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Inertial Confinement Fusion and High Yield Campaign.

The Committee recommendation provides $471,174,000 for the Inertial Confinement Fusion and High Yield Campaign, $6,427,000 below fiscal year 2011 and $5,100,000 below the budget request. Within these funds, $62,500,000 shall be for the Laboratory for Laser Energetics as requested. The recommendation includes $4,000,000 for the Joint Program in High Energy Density Laboratory Plasmas, the same as fiscal year 2011 and $5,100,000 below the budget request. The Committee continues to support the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and urges the NNSA to maintain its schedule towards achieving fusion ignition. The Committee recommendation includes the full request to pursue ignition at NIF and to perform supporting weapons-related experiments on its pulsed power facilities. The Committee notes that NIF is already contributing to stockpile stewardship through experiments which ensure the aging nuclear weapons stockpile continues to be safe, secure and effective without nuclear testing.