DOE FY 2000 Budget Request: Basic and Fusion Energy Sciences

FYI #14 provided an overview of the FY 2000 budget request for the Department of Energy. Below are excerpts from DOE’s “Budget Highlights” document, describing details of the request for the Basic Energy Sciences (BES) and Fusion Energy Sciences programs. BES funding will go up significantly, largely because of an increase for construction of the Spallation Neutron Source. BES also would receive some new money for presidential initiatives on information technology and climate change technology. Fusion funding stays flat, in part due to the close-out of ITER in early FY 1999. (FYI #15 contained excerpts for High Energy Physics and Nuclear Physics).

BASIC ENERGY SCIENCES REQUEST: $888.1 million; up 11.1 percent

“The FY 2000 budget request for Basic Energy Sciences (BES) is $888.1 million, a net increase of $88.6 million over FY 1999 [funding of $799.5 million]. Most of this increase is attributable to the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) which increases from $130.0 million in FY 1999 to $214.0 million in FY 2000. Funding for the Climate Change Technology Initiative (CCTI), which is spread among all subprograms, is $20.0 million ($8.0 million in FY 1999). A new request of $7.0 million for the Scientific Simulation Initiative will be used to develop, through simulation and modeling, a detailed understanding of combustion processes to accelerate the development, characterization, and validation of design tools for advanced combustion devices. The budget request includes $1.9 million for new science education activities which will support college faculty and students participating in research at DOE laboratories. Most other program activities are conducted at or below the FY 1999 level.

“Materials Research continues funding for the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center (LANSCE) instrumentation upgrade [TEC $20.5 million; FY 1999 $4.5 million; FY 2000 $6.0 million]. The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is continued at a level of $6.8 million. FY 2000 includes $22.6 million to maintain and provide safety improvements for the High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) which remains in a standby mode awaiting a final decision concerning restart. Chemical Research funds most activities at near the FY 1999 level, the exceptions being increased funding for CCTI and SSI. Funding within Chemical Sciences for facilities operations increases from $68.9 million in FY 1999 to $71.4 million in FY 2000 to proceed with the beryllium reflector replacement and use of three new experimental stations at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). Research in Engineering and Geosciences will be de-emphasized, and Energy Biosciences research will increase slightly from the FY 1999 level because of increased funding for CCTI. Successful completion of the Combustion Research Facility Phase II in FY 1999 (FY 1999 $4.0 million) partially offsets the construction ramp up for SNS.”

FUSION ENERGY SCIENCES REQUEST: $222.6 million; level funding

“The FY 2000 budget for Fusion Energy Sciences is $222.6 million, the same as in FY 1999. Funding for the Doublet III-D (DIII-D) at General Atomics continues operation of the facility for 14 weeks, with a focus on auxiliary heating systems and power exhaust systems [FY 1999 $51.1 million; FY 2000 $52.4 million]. The Alcator C-Mod at MIT increases from 12 weeks of operation in FY 1999 to 18 weeks in FY 2000 [FY 1999 $17.5 million; FY 2000 $17.9 million]. The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) (FY 1999 $26.6 million; FY 2000 $26.3 million) fabrication is completed and it will have its first full year of operations in FY 2000 (14 weeks). Research on novel magnetic confinement configurations is increased [FY 1999 $19.0 million; FY 2000 $23.7 million]. A three-year, $48 million, decontamination and decommissioning of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) will begin in FY 2000 ($+10.0 million). Theory and General Plasma Science efforts will be funded near the FY 1999 level, and Inertial Fusion Energy is also funded at near the FY 1999 level [FY 1999 $9.8 million; FY 2000 $10.1 million]. In addition to reduced funding for ITER, the Enabling R&D subprogram has reduced funding for engineering research [FY 1999 $43.1 million; FY 2000 $27.8 million].”

Inertial Confinement Fusion is also funded within DOE’s Weapons Activities. This account would receive $465.7 million, compared to $503.4 million in FY 1999. Within this account, “funding for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) will continue in accordance with the schedule in the Project Execution Plan consistent with an FY 2003 completion date (operation and maintenance $5.9 million; construction $248.1 million.)”