FPN13-53

Ten Members of Congress Urge Fusion Funding

November 6, 2013

Ten members of the US House of Representatives wrote a letter dated October 28, 2013 to the chairs and ranking members of the House Committee on Appropriations stating "we believe Congress must put forward as much funding as possible toward this vital energy source". They write, "As fiscal year (FY) 2014 has started and you consider legislation to fund the government for the entire year, we ask you to support a vibrant domestic fusion energy program".

They urged support for $288,58 million for the domestic (non-ITER) portion of the fusion budget as previously passed by the House and also to adopt language from the Senate Appropriation report accompanying S. 1245 which directs funds to projects relating to High Energy Density Laboratory Plasmas (HEDLP), including Heavy Ion Fusion (HIF).

They note that the DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences "has historically provided almost all of its funding toward magnetic fusion energy research" and urged that funding also be provided for inertial fusion energy research "since it is impossible to know which will be most successful at the earliest possible date."

The letter was signed by:
Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA)
William Keating (D-MA)
Jerry McNerney (D-CA)
Bill Foster (D-IL)
Mark Pocan (D-WI)
Michael Honda (D-CA)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM)

Copies of the letter are available from Fusion Power Associates: fusionpwrassoc@aol.com