September 19, 1996

The Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) will meet Tues-Wed, September 24-25 at the Gaithersburg, MD Hilton in public session. The primary topic will be to provide guidance to DOE on the distribution of funds for FY1997 recently approved by the Congress (See FPN-13 and 14). Time will be alloted for public comment. Persons wishing to make comments or to provide comments in writing, should contact Al Opdenaker at DOE at email albert.opdenaker@mailgw.er.doe.gov

As input to the FESAC discussion, DOE Office of Fusion Energy Science has issued a "strawman" budget distribution, as described below. The first number listed is the current FY1996 budget (in $millions) for that category and the second number listed is the proposed FY1997 "strawman" allocation.

Tokamak Experiments:          115.0;  111.1
Magnetic Alternate Concepts:    7.4;   13.1
Theory:                        18.6;   16.8
Basic Plasma Science:           0.2;    3.0
ITER:                          54.4;   54.5
Plasma Technologies:            5.6;    0.0
Fusion Technologies:            3.3;    0.0
Systems Studies:                2.3;    1.0
Inertial Fusion Energy:         7.8;    4.9
Advanced Materials:             7.9;    4.9
Small Business Tax:             4.8;    5.0
Computing:                      7.7;    7.5
Program Direction:              8.7;    8.3
General Tax:                    0.0;    2.4

Totals:                       243.7;  232.5

For more information, contact: Stephen O. Dean