FPN22-09

Inertial Confinement Fusion FY 22 Appropriations

March 11, 2022

The U.S. Congress has passed the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Bill, funding the U.S Department of Energy and other agencies. Funding for the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences was described in FPN 22-08. The U.S. Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) program is funded within the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

The Appropriations Bill provides $580 million for FY 2022, compared to $575 million in FY 2021 and to $529 requested by the President.

The Bill provides the following language:

Within available funds, the agreement provides not less than $350,000,000 for the National Ignition Facility ( NIF), not less than $83.000,000 for OMEGA, not less than $66,900.000 for the Z Facility. and not less than $6.000,000 for the NIKE Laser at the Naval Research Laboratory.

A predictable and sustained availability of targets is essential to the operations of NNSA's laser facilities, and the agreement provides not less than $33,000,000 for target research, development, and fabrication to cost-effectively operate the NIF, Z, and OMEGA facilities.