ITER Tops the DOE List of Facility Priorities

Yesterday the US Department of Energy released a list specifying priorities for construction or upgrading of science facilities over the next 20 years. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which would represent the next big generation in fusion reactor design, occupied the number one slot on the list, followed by the Ultrascale Scientific Computing Capability, a network which aims at greatly enhancing high-end scientific computing. Four facilities were grouped together as the number three priorities among near-term projects. They are the Joint Dark Energy Mission, the Linac Coherent Light Source, the Protein Production and Tags Facility, and the Rare Isotope Accelerator. (The full report and list can be see at the US Dept. of Energy website)