Senate DOE Appropriations Report Language: Fusion

Accompanying the bill, H.R. 2445, the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill for fiscal year 1994, is a report from the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senate Report 103-147 contains committee recommendations for various DOE programs. While not having the force of law, these recommendations are generally adhered to by a department or agency. Final report language and funding levels are determined by a conference committee composed of members from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

The following is selected report language on the DOE fusion programs. Other DOE programs are covered in FYIs #125 and #126.

MAGNETIC FUSION ENERGY:

“The Committee has provided $342,595,000 for this program [the House bill provided the full request of $347,595,000; current year funding is $339,710,000], and supports a magnetic fusion energy program that leads to an attractive long-term advanced energy source for the country while broadening our understanding of plasma science and developing advanced technologies.

“Critical to the timely development of an attractive fusion demonstration reactor is successful operation of the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER).

“The Department of Energy’s program is based on the assumption that either ITER or an ITER-like machine will be built. ITER is based on the tokamak concept, but will be significantly larger than any existing fusion experiment. ITER will be a major contributor and necessary prerequisite to the design and construction of a demonstration fusion powerplant that will generate electricity.

“Most of the Department’s fusion activities focus on the tokamak. The largest of these activities--the tokamak fusion test reactor (TFTR] at Princeton--is scheduled to complete its work in 1994. The Department anticipates replacing TFTR with the tokamak physics experiment (TPX).

“TPX, which is under design, will cost over $500,000,000. The results from experiments carried out on TPX will be used in the operation of ITER and ultimately in the design and construction of a fusion demonstration reactor...”

“While the Committee supports design activities related to TPX, the Committee is concerned that moving forward with construction of TPX, in the absence of a commitment from other countries to build ITER, runs a serious risk that any U.S. investment in TPX will be lost.

In addition, the report language directs DOE to: focus its magnetic fusion energy program on elements that “further the design, construction, and operation” of ITER; set priorities for its domestic fusion program; give the highest priority in fiscal year 1994 to deuterium-tritium experiments at TFTR; proceed with an upgrade of the DIII-D tokamak facility; and “begin an aggressive low activation fusion materials program.”

INERTIAL CONFINEMENT FUSION:

In addition to magnetic fusion, DOE supports research in inertial confinement fusion. This support is provided in two separate DOE program areas. Within the Magnetic Fusion program, the Committee provides $4,000,000 [the same as the House and the President’s request] for research into inertial confinement fusion as an energy source. In addition, within DOE’s Atomic Energy Defense Activities, the Committee provides $188,413,000 [equal to the House mark and the President’s request] for weapons-related inertial confinement fusion.