Today, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced President Bush's
decision that the U.S. will rejoin negotiations to build and operate
an international fusion energy project, the International Thermonuclear
Experimental Reactor (ITER). "The Bush Administration believes
that fusion is a key element in U.S. long-term energy plans," according
to a DOE press release, and ITER "will demonstrate essential fusion
energy technologies...and will test key elements required to use fusion
as a practical energy source."
The U.S. withdrew from participation in ITER in 1998, during the design
phase, over concerns about the projected costs and project management.
Since that time, the project has undergone significant restructuring.
The current partners in the project are Canada, the European Union,
Russia and Japan. China has also recently become a participant in the
negotiations. Canada, Japan and the European Union have offered sites
to host the facility. ITER is estimated to cost about $5 billion in
constant 2002 dollars to build, and may become operational around 2014
if a site is chosen and construction begun by 2006.
Portions of Abraham's remarks, made today at the Princeton Plasma Physics
Laboratory (PPPL), follow. Some paragraphs have been combined in the
interests of space. The full text of the Secretary's remarks is available
at http://www.energy.gov/HQDocs/speeches/2003/janss/PPPLAllHands.html
and further information on ITER can be found at http://www.ofes.fusion.doe.gov/iter.html.
POTENTIAL OF FUSION ENERGY:
"Over the lifetime of a child born today, the demand
for energy will more than triple from what it is today. Most of that
growth will take place in the developing world. And if fusion power
proves practical, it will kick in at the right time. It will be there
to meet the increasing need for large scale sources of clean energy
around the world.
"That defines the promise of fusion. And it points to
its great benefits. Fusion power produces no troublesome emissions,
it is safe, and has few, if any, proliferation concerns. It creates
no long term waste problems and runs on fuel readily available to
all nations. Moreover, fusion plants could produce hydrogen ... our
ultimate freedom fuel ... to power hundred of millions of hydrogen
fuel cell vehicles in the U.S. and abroad.
"So I want to acknowledge the strides you've made in
developing this new energy source. But I also want to tell you that
your task has just gotten bigger ... and more important than ever."
GLOBALIZATION OF SCIENCE:
"As everyone here knows, American science leads the
world. Innovation, the willingness to take chances, the free and open
exchange of ideas -- these are just some of the things that help propel
American research. And I know - with certainty -- that we will continue
this leadership role. We will never accept second best in science.
But science in the 21st Century is often a global effort. Time and
again, homegrown scientific discoveries turn out to be not so homegrown
after all. Often, international cooperation is indispensable to achieving
results. We have followed this course with our advanced nuclear power
program, which is developing the next major improvement in nuclear
reactors we call Generation-IV.
"Fusion energy is no different. Princeton, our other
DOE labs, the university community and American industry, have pushed
fusion research far beyond what many thought possible and made the
prospects of fusion power credible. Now is the time to expand our
scope and embrace international efforts to realize the promise of
fusion energy. Now it is time to take the next step on the way to
having fusion deliver electricity to the grid."
"The President has decided to take that step."
DECISION ON ITER:
"Therefore, I am pleased to announce today, that President
Bush has decided that the United States will join the international
negotiations on ITER.
"Today's decision is a logical extension of the President's
National Energy Policy, which called on the Department to develop
next-generation technology - including fusion. ITER will help us do
just that ... for it has a clear objective ... to demonstrate the
scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy. ITER will
help answer tough questions about fusion power. It will advance both
the science and technology of fusion by opening the way to a vast
array of critical experiments. And it will produce industrial levels
of fusion power for long durations.
"So, let me commend the efforts of our allies who have
been working on ITER up to this point. All of us recognize the possibilities
fusion power offers to feed the energy needs of growing economies
around the world. And we know that this experiment is a crucial element
in the path forward to satisfying global energy demand.
"As with all important scientific undertakings, there
is no guarantee of success. We will no doubt encounter roadblocks.
Experiments will fail. But there is something also true about science
... failure is often more fruitful than success. When you start on
one path of discovery, you may end up on another more promising, more
fascinating, and more rewarding road.
"President Bush has faith in American science. And he
knows the huge energy challenges ... for the United States and for
the world ... that fusion science seeks to tackle. And let me tell
you, he is not one for taking baby steps when leaps are called for.
"By the time our young children reach middle age, fusion
may begin to deliver energy independence ... and energy abundance
... to all nations rich and poor. Fusion is a promise for the future
we must not ignore."
DOMESTIC FUSION ENERGY PROGRAM:
"But let me be clear, our decision to join ITER in no
way means a lesser role for the fusion programs we undertake here
at home. It is imperative that we maintain and enhance our strong
domestic research program - at Princeton, at the universities and
at our other labs. Critical science needs to be done in the U.S.,
in parallel with ITER, to strengthen our competitive position in fusion
technology. So as optimistic as I am, our success in ITER will depend,
in no small measure, on what we do in the United States...."
"The Department is exploring the full range of approaches
to generating energy through fusion. Princeton, along with our other
great national labs -- Oak Ridge, Lawrence Berkeley, Los Alamos, Lawrence
Livermore are joined by university researchers from some 30 states,
making fusion science a truly national effort."
SCIENCE AT DOE:
"Many times when I have the chance to talk about science
at DOE, I have to explain why basic research finds a home at a Department
called Energy. In fact, we might well be called the Department of
Energy and Science given the importance of our role in American and
indeed international science.
"And the reason we are so deeply involved in science
is simple. Our mission here at DOE ... as I have stressed since becoming
Secretary ... is national security. And in my view, a serious commitment
to national security demands a serious commitment to science, especially
basic research. This commitment strengthens our energy security, international
competitiveness, economic growth and intellectual leadership...."
"[I]f we ever hope to leapfrog today's energy challenges
we must look to basic research. The kind of basic research you are
doing here at the Princeton Lab.
"DOE is really a special place for science. We are willing
to take risks on research, knowing that experiments at the cutting
edge can lead in unexpected directions...."
"Still, few appreciate that fusion and plasma physics
research have led, for example, to more efficient superconductors,
better engines for satellites, more advanced MRIs and other diagnostic
equipment that perform medical miracles, and revolutionary new coatings
to improve performance of automobile and aircraft parts."
SCIENCE EDUCATION:
"Let me also say that I am truly impressed by your education
programs. This could not be more important. I'm sure we all have noticed
how interested young people are in science and how adept they are
with technology. But something seems to happen to divert this enthusiasm
of childhood, because we are all aware of the truly tragic state of
science education in America. We need to correct this.
"The success of science depends on an influx of new,
young people into every field. That's just not happening today. We
are working to correct that. We are working on initiatives to support
teacher training at our labs and I want to commend the fine progress
you are making here at Princeton. Certainly an exciting new initiative
in fusion energy will help motivate more students to pursue careers
in science."
CONCLUSION:
"The President has made a historic decision to take
a major step toward realizing the promise of fusion energy. He is
looking to the Department of Energy and to the genius, commitment,
and the passion for excellence found in our national labs and universities
to help achieve this goal.
"Make no mistake. This commitment represents a critical
moment for fusion science. The initiative is now with us. We cannot
control what the science will tell us. But we can seize this opportunity
to push the bounds of research further and faster than anyone could
have dreamed. The President is confident that we are up to this challenge."
Abraham's audience included former PPPL assistant director Rep. Rush
Holt (D-NJ) and Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), as well as observers
from the European Union, Japan, Russia, Germany, Spain, France, the
UK, Italy, Canada, and China. Holt applauded the decision to rejoin
ITER, but warned "against diverting current domestic funding for
fusion to ITER.... For fusion to meet its great promise, the U.S. must
make sure to invest as much in its domestic research as it does in ITER."
Audrey T. Leath
Media and Government Relations Division
American Institute of Physics
fyi@aip.org
(301) 209-3094
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