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UFA News letter.
June 15, 2001

This News letter reports on the four topics:



Opportunities for plasma centers proposals

The NSF has made a call for proposals for new centers and plasma is one
area of interest.  The NSF Physics Frontier Center (PFC) Solicitation for
FY 2002 was published on May 15 and the details are on a NSF web page.
(http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf01112 ).

The deadline for white papers in response to the NRC report recommendations
is rapidly approaching.  See the 4/26/01 email.

Fusion part of Report of the National Energy Policy Development Group

President Bush organized this group.  The report has the following to say
about fusion:

Fusion:
Fusion-the energy source of the sun-has the long-range potential to serve
as an abundant and clean source of energy. The basic fuels, deuterium (a
heavy form of hydrogen) and lithium, are abundantly available to all
nations for thousands of years. There are no emissions from fusion, and the
radioactive wastes from fusion are short-lived, only requiring burial and
oversight for about 100 years. In addition, there is no risk of a melt-down
accident because only a small amount of fuel is present in the system at
any time. Finally, there is little risk of nuclear proliferation because
special nuclear materials, such as uranium and plutonium, are not required
for fusion energy. Fusion systems could power an energy supply chain based
on hydrogen and fuel cells, as well as provide electricity directly.

Although still in its early stages of development, fusion research has made
some advances. In the early 1970s, fusion research achieved the milestone
of producing 1/10 of one watt of fusion power, for 1/100 of a second. Today
the energy produced from fusion is 10 billion times greater, and has been
demonstrated in the laboratory at powers over 10 million watts in the range
of a second.

Internationally, an effort is underway in Europe, Japan, and Russia to
develop plans for constructing a large-scale fusion science and engineering
test facility. This test facility may someday be capable of steady operation
with fusion power in the range of hundreds of megawatts. Both hydrogen and
fusion must make significant progress before they can become viable sources
of energy.

However, the technological advances experienced over the last decade and
the advances yet to come will hopefully transform the energy sources of the
distant future.

Recommendation:

*The NEPD Group recommends that the President direct the Secretary of
Energy to develop next-generation technology-including hydrogen and fusion.

* Develop an education campaign that communicates the benefits of
alternative forms of energy, including hydrogen and fusion.

For the entire report see the web page http://www.whitehouse.gov/energy/

(Rob Goldston provided this information. Thanks Rob)



Status report on burning plasma workshops

by Gerald Navratil

Please click here to read this pdf file.





Fusion Energy Science Act

by Mark Haynes

On May 9th, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Congressman George Nethercutt
(R-WA) introduced H.R. 1781, the Fusion Energy Sciences Act of 2001. The
bill, which is described in more detail below, has two main purposes: first
to strengthen the base fusion energy sciences program and second to require
the Secretary of Energy to submit to Congress a plan or plans for U.S.
construction or participation in a magnetic burning plasma experiment.

The Lofgren / Nethercutt bill now has 41 sponsors in the House (listed
below) and is expected to be introduced in the Senate soon. Politically the
bill has already begun to serve the important purposes of elevating the
awareness of fusion as a possible energy source for the future and making
it clear that fusion energy science is ready to take the next step towards
realization of this dream. If the bill is to make it into law (a distinct
possibility), it will likely either be included as part of overall energy
policy legislation currently being drafted in the House and Senate, or it
will have to track as a free-standing bill on its own. At this point, the
sponsors of the bill are working to determine which path makes the most sense.

If your Member is listed below, please call or write to thank them. If they
aren't listed, please call them and request that they co-sponsor the bill.

FUSION ENERGY SCIENCES ACT OF 2001
Section-by-Section

Section 1. Short Title - Fusion Energy Sciences Act of 2001

Section 2. Findings

Section 3. Plan for Fusion Experiment - This section requires that no later
than July, 2004, the Secretary of Energy shall transmit to Congress a plan
for a "burning plasma experiment", which is the next necessary step towards
the eventual realization of practical fusion energy. At a minimum, the
Secretary must submit a plan for a domestic U.S. experiment, but may also
submit a plan for U.S. involvement in an international burning plasma
experiment if such involvement is cost effective and has equivalent
scientific benefits to a domestic experiment. Both plans must be reviewed
by the National Academy of Science prior to being submitted to Congress.
This bill does not authorize construction of or participation in a burning
plasma experiment.

Section 4. Plan for Fusion Energy Sciences Program - This section requires
that within six months of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Energy shall submit a plan to Congress to ensure a strong scientific base
for the fusion energy sciences program.

Section 5. Authorization of Appropriations - For ongoing activities in the
Department of Energy's fusion energy sciences program and for the purpose
of planning activities under Section 3 of this act, this section authorizes
$320 million in Fiscal Year 2002 and $335 million in Fiscal Year 2003. (The
existing Fiscal Year 2001 Congressional Appropriation for the program is
$255 million, which is down from a $370 million budget in Fiscal Year 1995).
SPONSORS OF H.R. 1781, THE FUSION ENERGY SCIENCES ACT OF 2001

Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
George R. Nethercutt, Jr. (R-WA)
Joe Baca (D-CA)
Mary Bono (R-CA)
Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Duke Cunningham (R-CA)
Susan Davis (D-CA)
Tom Davis (R-VA)
John T. Doolittle (R-CA)
Bob Filner (D-CA)
Bart Gordon (D-TN)
Ralph Hall (D-TX)
Jane Harman (D-CA)
Rush Holt (D-NJ)
Mike Honda (D-CA)
Darrell Issa (R-CA)
John Larson (D-CT)
Barbara Lee (D-CA)
John Olver (D-MA)
Ellen Tauscher (D-CA)
John Spratt (D-SC)
Karen Thurman (D-FL)
Zach Wamp (R-TN)
Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
Connie Morella (R-MD)
Joseph Crowley (D-NY)
Vern Ehlers (R-MI)
Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
Robert Andrews (D-NJ)
Robert Matsui (D-CA)
Donald Payne (D-NJ)
Michael Capuano (D-MA)
Charlie Norwood (R-GA)
Anthony Weiner (D-NY)
Mike Simpson (R-ID)
John Shimkus (R-IL)
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Nick Lampson (D-TX)
Mark Udall (D-CO)
Barney Frank (D-MA)
Howard Berman (D-CA)