FPN20-90

FESAC Subcommittee Report December 4 Release

November 30, 2020

On March 16, the US Department of Energy Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) received the report of the year-long-plus US fusion community planning effort (https://sites.google.com/pppl.gov/dpp-cpp), and then launched its own review of that report, with the goal to prepare a "long range strategic plan" for the US fusion energy program (https://sites.google.com/view/fesac-lrp-public/home). FESAC chair Don Rej appointed a subpanel of FESAC chaired by FESAC member Troy Carter (UCLA) to prepare that plan and to deliver a report back to FESAC in December.

That subpanel has completed its work and will issue its report on December 4. The report will be posted on the DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences web site some time that day at https://science.osti.gov/fes/fesac. The report will also be available from Fusion Power Associates on request at fusionpwrassoc@aol.com

There will be a three-day FESAC meeting the following week, on Dec 7, 8 and 10. The draft agenda for this meeting is currently posted on the same FESAC web site and is also available on request from Fusion Power Associates. The meeting is fully public and Zoom connection information will be posted at the FESAC website above. There will be an opportunity for public comment during this meeting; 1.5 hours has been set aside on Tuesday, December 8 for this purpose. To make a public comment you need to submit a request to Sam Barish (Sam.Barish@science.doe.gov) by Dec 7 COB. Usually these are oral comments (limited to ~5 minutes) but written comments may also be submitted for FESAC's consideration.

Subcommittee chair Troy Carter said,

"What to expect from the subcommittee's report:

(1) It will be concise and focused on delivering a clear, compelling message to DOE leadership, Congress, OMB and OSTP.

(2) It will answer the FESAC charge and present a unified plan for the entire FES portfolio.

(3) The CPP report will be an essential companion to the report, providing the level of technical detail required for the research community to fully understand the long-range plan.

Keep in mind that the final report will be FESAC's. This subcommittee report is not official unless adopted by FESAC, and changes may be requested before the report is final."