House and Senate Report Language for DOE: Basic Energy Sciences

Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees approved, on July 16, differing versions of a fiscal year 1997 Energy and Water Development bill (see FYI #109.) Committee reports are available for both the House and Senate bills. Below is report language that describes the committees’ views and recommendations for the Department of Energy’s Basic Energy Sciences Program. Please see FYI #110 for report language on the Fusion program and FYI #112 for language on General Science and Research Activities.

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT (H. Report 104-679):

BASIC ENERGY SCIENCES (BES)

“The Committee recommendation for Basic Energy Sciences is $642,960,000, a net decrease of $10,715,000 from the budget request of $653,675,000. This represents a modest 1.6% reduction from the budget request.

“The Committee remains committed to robust basic energy research programs which are characterized by cutting-edge basic research, availability of world-class facilities to the scientific and research community, and direction to meet current and future energy-related challenges.

“The recommendation includes $7,000,000 for the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), the same amount provided in the budget request. The recommendation also includes $3,700,000 for the Midwest Superconductivity Consortium.

“For purposes of reprogramming during fiscal year 1997, funding may be reallocated by the Department among all operating accounts in basic energy sciences.”

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT (S. Report 104-320):

BASIC ENERGY SCIENCES (BES)

“The Committee acknowledges the important and essential contributions of the Department in the Nation’s basic science and research programs. The collaboration between the national laboratories and the university community has provided the foundation for scientific breakthroughs and achievements in energy-related research. To continue this progress, the Committee recommendation strongly supports the budget request to enhance the utilization of the Department’s fundamental science and user facilities.

“The Committee’s recommendation includes $9,000,000 to continue the Department’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research [EPSCoR] program. Also, the Midwest superconductivity consortium is continued at the current level.”

“Scientific users facility initiative. - The Committee commends the Department for its support of the scientific users facilities initiative which has substantially increased operating hours and funded state-of-the-art instrumentation at the Department’s user facilities. The Committee has included the full amount of the request, $277,636,000, for the initiative.

“Spallation neutron source. - In the conference report accompanying the Fiscal Year 1996 Energy and Water Development Act, the conferees provided funds for research and development and conceptual design activities for a new spallation neutron source. The Committee also directed the Department to evaluate opportunities to upgrade existing reactors and spallation sources as cost-effective means of providing neutrons in the near term for the scientific community while the next generation source is developed.

“After reviewing the interim report of the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee on this matter, which strongly recommended that the upgrades and construction projects under consideration not come at the expense of other research activities of the Office of Basic Energy Science, the Committee is concerned that upgrades may be the only affordable option for the foreseeable future. However, because of the investment already made in conceptual design, environmental impact studies, and preconstruction research and development, and because the Committee intends that a final decision on the next generation spallation source be made on the basis of complete information, the Committee has included $8,000,000, the same as the request, for those activities in fiscal year 1997. The results of those activities, and any recommendations concerning upgrades, should be included in the Department’s fiscal year 1998 budget request.”