FPN22-08

Congress Passes FY2022 Funding Bill

March 11, 2022

The U. S. Congress has (finally) passed the Fiscal Year 2022 funding bill for the U.S Department of Energy and other agencies. FY 2022 began last October 1 and ends on September 30, 2022. The programs have been on a "continuing resolution" at FY 2021 levels since October 1, 2021

For the U.S. Office of Fusion Energy Sciences the legislation provides a total of $713 million, compared to the FY21 level of $675 million and to the President's request of $675 million. Within the $713 million, the research program is provided $460 million, compared to the FY21 level of $415 million and the President's request of $449 million, U.S. contributions to the ITER project is provided $242 million, the same as the FY 2021 level and the President's request for $221 million. The Petawatt project at SLAC is provided 11 million, compared to 15 million in FY 2021 and the President's request for $15 million.

Language provided with the Bill is as follows:

The Department is directed to follow and embrace the recommendations of the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee's "Powering the Future: Fusion and Plasmas" report; the agreement reiterates House direction on the related briefing.

The agreement provides not less than $20,000,000 for the High-Energy-Density Laboratory Plasmas program to advance cutting-edge research in extreme states of matter: expand the capabilities of the LaserNetUS facilities; and provide initial investments in new intense, ultrafast laser technologies needed to retain U.S. leadership in these fields.

The agreement provides not less than $59,000,000 for NSTX- U Operations, not less than $33,000,000 for NSTX- U Research, and not less than $25,000,000 for the Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment.

The agreement reiterates House direction on the Milestone-Based Development Program and the stellarator facility.

The agreement provides $242,000,000 for the U.S. contribution to the ITER project, of which not less than $60,000,000 is for in-cash contributions. The agreement reiterates House direction on an updated baseline for Subproject I and a baseline for Subproject 2.

BILLS-117RCP35-JES-DIVISION-D.pdf (house.gov)

Funds are also provided in the Bill for the U.S Inertial Confinement Fusion program and High Energy Density Science within the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). A further FPN will be forthcoming on the NNSA fusion effort.