Fusion Power Associates 2 Professional Drive, Suite 249 Gaithersburg, MD 20879 phone: (301) 258-0545 fax: (301) 975-9869 e-mail: FusionPwrAssoc@aol.com web: http://fusionpower.org

August 16, 1996

The DOE Office of Fusion Energy has instructed the DOE Controller's Office to issue "first financial plans" to its financial plan contractors (National Laboratories) that reflect a strict adherence to the "House of Representatives mark," including the "restrictive language" of the Appropriations Committee report. According to DOE's interpretation, all but $16 million of the planned House appropriation is "earmarked" for specific programs, primarily the large tokamak facilities and ITER. This leaves $16 million to fund programs that DOE had planned spending $55.2 million on next year.

The programs in jeopardy are:

  Experimental Plasma Research      $20.1 M
  Fusion and Plasma Technologies    $9.1 M
  Systems Studies                   $2.0 M
  Inertial Fusion Energy            $8.0 M
  Advanced Materials                $9.0 M
  International (Non-ITER) Progms.  $7.0 M

The draconian actions that will be set in motion when the first financial plans are issued will undoubtedly leave lasting scars. Since no one, including the DOE, expects the restrictive house "earmarking" to survive the House-Senate Conference in September, one wonders what type of management process is at work at the Department of Energy. Perhaps they are playing Russian Roulette.

For more information, contact: Stephen O. Dean