Fusion News: 2001

This paper summarizes key news events in the development of fusion energy. Highlights include formation of a new U.S. energy policy and identification of key officials of the new Bush Administration, advances in construction of the National Ignition Facility, planning for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, and experimental progress on DIII-D tokamak and Z facility.     

Fusion News: 2003

This paper summarizes key news events in the development energy. Highlights include progress in negotiations for construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), actions of the U.S. government on fusion budgets, and technical progress.     

Fusion News: 2002

This paper summarizes key news events in the development of fusion energy. Highlights include status of ITER negotiations, FESAC studies, NIF construction and fusion-related legislation. Also included are summaries of the 2002 fusion Snowmass meeting and other workshops.     

Fusion News: 2005

This paper summarizes key 2005 news events in the development of fusion energy. Highlights include evolution and resolution of ITER siting decision, progress on construction of NIF, and passage of U.S. fusion budget for Fiscal Year 2006.     

Fusion News: 2006

This paper summarizes key 2006 news events in the development of fusion energy. Highlights include status of ITER project, progress on construction of NIF, and status of US fusion budget for Fiscal Year 2007.     

The Fusion Energy Option

Presentations from a Fusion Power Associates symposium, The Fusion Energy Option, are summarized. The topics include perspectives on fossil fuel reserves, fusion as a source for hydrogen production, status and plans for the development of inertial fusion, planning for the construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, status and promise of alternate approaches to fusion and the need for R&D now on fusion technologies.     

Fusion: Pathways to the Future

Presentations from a Fusion Power Associates (FPA) symposium, Fusion: Pathways to the Future, are summarized. The topics include an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy policies, status and plans for inertial fusion and ITER, and the role of alternate concepts in fusion development. Copies of the presentations are posted at     

Fusion Innovative Confinement Concepts: 2004

This paper summarizes recent progress in fusion Innovative Confinement Concepts (ICC) as reported at the 2004 ICC Workshop held May 25–28, 2004 in Madison, Wisconsin. This was the third in an annual series of workshops on this topic. The purpose of these workshops is to provide a forum for those who are thinking and working beyond what is considered to be the current state of understanding of fusion concepts.     

Report of the FEAC Inertial Fusion Energy Review Panel: July 1996

This report presents the results and recommendations of the U. S. Department of Energy Fusion Energy Advisory Committee (FEAC) review of its Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) program. The subpanel charged with the review was chaired by John Sheffield of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The FEAC, to which the subpanel reported, was chaired by Robert Conn of the University of California at San Diego.     

Fusion and Energy Policy

Presentations from a Fusion Power Associates symposium, Fusion and Energy Policy, are summarized. The topics include an overview of U.S. Department of Energy policies, fusion strategies in Europe and Japan, plans for U.S. participation in the construction of ITER, status of construction of the National Ignition Facility and recent progress in all aspects of magnetic and inertial fusion.     

Enabling Technology in Support of Fusion Science

This paper summarizes remarks made at Fusion Power Associates annual meeting, July 17, 2000 in San Diego. It describes the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fusion Enegy Sciences programs in plasma and fusion technology in support of the U. S. fusion energy sciences program.     

Nonelectric Applications of Fusion

This is the final report of a panel set up by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) in response to a charge letter from Dr. James Decker, Acting Director of the DOE Office of Science. In that letter, Dr. Decker asked FESAC to consider whether the Fusion Energy Sciences program should broaden its scope and activities to include non-electric applications of intermediate-term fusion devices. This report, submitted to FESAC July 31, 2003, and subsequently approved by them (Appendix B), presents FESAC's response to that charge.     

A Plan for the Development of Fusion Energy

This is the final report of a panel set up by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) in response to a charge letter dated September 10, 2002 from Dr. Ray Orbach, Director of the DOE's Office of Science. In that letter, Dr. Orbach asked FESAC to develop a plan with the end goal of the start of operation of a demonstration power plant in approximately 35 years. This report, submitted March 5, 2003, presents such a plan, leading to commercial application of fusion energy by mid-century. The plan is derived from the necessary features of a demonstration fusion power plant and from the time scale defined by President Bush. It identifies critical milestones, key decision points, needed major facilities and required budgets. The report also responds to a request from DOE to FESAC to describe what new or upgraded fusion facilities will best serve our purposes over a time frame of the next twenty years.     

Possible Pathways for Pursuing Burning Plasma Physics and Fusion Energy Development

This report has been prepared in response to a request from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fusion Energy Sciences to consider possible alternatives on reduced cost options for next-step devices. A central focus of next-step devices is the study of burning plasmas, which explore the impact of substantial fusion energy production via the deuterium-tritium reaction.An important part of the U.S. Fusion Energy Sciences Program is its participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program. Taking into account the international situation and U.S. domestic issues, the ITER process is exploring reduced-cost options to the present ITER device. A Special Working Group, reporting to the ITER Council, has been formed to explore these issues on behalf of the ITER Parties, i.e., the European Union, Russian Federation, Japan, and the United States. This report and its related activities will aid the United States in the international process.This report is the result of a broad-based U.S. community effort to discuss, debate, and work together on the crucial issues involved in considering next-step options. The main content of this report is based on three potential pathways identified at a broadly attended community Forum for Next-Step Fusion Experiments (University of Wisconsin, Madison, April 1998) organized principally by the University Fusion Association and by the work of the ITER Steering Committee—US (ISCUS) on reduced cost ITER options. The Madison Workshop was followed by a smaller Workshop on Next-Step Options (University of California, San Diego, June 1998) to focus on preparing this report. A broadly-announced Website was established to facilitate access to documents related to this process.     

Realizing the Promise of Fusion Energy: Final Report of the Task Force on Fusion Energy, August 1999

In December 1998, Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson asked the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board to form a Task Force on Fusion Energy to conduct a review of the Department's fusion energy technologies, both inertial and magnetic, and to provide recommendations as to the role of these technologies as part of a national fusion energy research program. This report reflects the Task Force's response to the request.     

Report of the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee Panel on Priorities and Balance

This report presents the results and recommendations of the deliberations of the DOE Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) Panel on Priorities and Balance, which met in Knoxville, TN, 18–21 August 1999. The Panel identified the achievement of a more integrated national program in magnetic fusion energy (MFE) and inertial fusion energy (IFE) as a major programmatic and policy goal for the years ahead.     

Requested Information Provided by the Three Major United States Toroidal Magnetic Fusion Facilities: Report of the 2005 FESAC Facilities Panel, Vol. 2

This is Volume 2 of a report of a panel established by the U.S. Department of Energy Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) charged to review the three major U.S. fusion facilities. The Panel requested input from each of the three major U.S. toroidal magnetic fusion facilities. The request included an invitation to each facility program director to provide a document that addressed in detail the panel charge. This paper consists of the three documents that were received in response to that request.     

Scientific Challenges,Opportunities and Priorities for the U.S. Fusion Energy Sciences Program

In October 2003, Dr. Raymond Orbach, Director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, issued a charge to the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) “to identify the major science and technology issues that need to be addressed, recommend how to organize campaigns to address these issues, and recommend the priority order for these campaigns.” The sections in this report document the results of the Panel’s work. The first two sections describe the concepts of the overarching themes, topical scientific questions, and campaigns. The next six sections (Sections 3–8) describe in detail the six scientific campaigns. Section 9 describes some important enabling research activities necessary for the campaigns. Sections 10–12 describe the overarching themes, which provide a crosscutting perspective of the activities in the six campaigns. Finally, the Panel’s recommendations are set forth in Section 13. The charge letter to the panel is provided as Appendix A; the FESAC response letter is provided as Appendix D.     

A Review of the U.S. Department of Energy's Inertial Fusion Energy Program

This is the final report of a panel set up by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) in response to a charge letter from Dr. Ray Orbach (Appendix A). In that letter, Dr. Orbach asked FESAC for an assessment of the present status of inertial fusion energy (IFE) research carried out in contributing programs. These programs include the heavy ion (HI) beam, the high average power laser (HAPL), and Z-Pinch drivers and associated technologies, including fast ignition (FI). This report, presented to FESAC on March 29, 2004, and subsequently approved by them (Appendix B), presents FESAC's response to that charge.     

Report of the Integrated Program Planning Activity for the U.S. Department of Energy Fusion Energy Sciences Program

This report of the Integrated Program Planning Activity (IPPA) has been prepared in response to a recommendation by the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board that, Given the complex nature of the fusion effort, an integrated program planning process is an absolute necessity. We therefore undertook this activity to integrate the various elements of the program, to improve communication and performance accountability across the program, and to show the interconnectedness and interdependency of the diverse parts of the national Fusion Energy Sciences Program. This report is based on the September 1999 Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee's (FESAC) report Priorities and Balance within the Fusion Energy Sciences Program. In its December 5, 2000, letter to the Director of the Office of Science, the FESAC reaffirmed the validity of the September 1999 report and stated that the IPPA presents a framework and process to guide the achievement of the 5-year goals listed in the 1999 report. The report also outlines a process for establishing a database for the fusion research program that will indicate how each research element fits into the overall program. This database will also include near-term milestones associated with each research element and will facilitate assessments of the balance within the program at different levels.