A bill to require the Secretary of Energy to develop a plan for a magnetic fusion burning plasma experiment for the purpose of accelerating the scientific understanding and development of fusion as a long term energy source, and for other purposes.

Summary: Fusion Energy Sciences Act of 2001 - Instructs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) develop a plan for U.S. construction of a magnetic fusion burning plasma experiment; (2) request a plan review for Congress by the National Academy of Sciences; and (3) develop and transmit to Congress a plan for the Fusion Energy Sciences Program and for the magnetic fusion burning plasma experiment.Authorizes the Secretary to develop a plan for U.S. participation in an international burning plasma experiment: (1) whose construction is highly likely; and (2) where Federal participation is cost effective relative to the cost and scientific benefits of a domestic experiment.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fusion Energy Sciences Act of 
2001''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) economic prosperity is closely linked to an affordable 
        and ample energy supply;
            (2) environmental quality is closely linked to energy 
        production and use;
            (3) population, worldwide economic development, energy 
        consumption, and stress on the environment are all expected to 
        increase substantially in the coming decades;
            (4) the few energy options with the potential to meet 
        economic and environmental needs for the long-term future must 
        be pursued aggressively now, as part of a balanced national 
        energy plan;
            (5) fusion energy is a long-term energy solution that is 
        expected to be environmentally benign, safe, and economical, 
        and to use a fuel source that is practically unlimited;
            (6) the National Academy of Sciences, the President's 
        Committee of Advisers on Science and Technology, and the 
        Secretary of Energy Advisory Board have each recently reviewed 
        the Fusion Energy Sciences Program and each strongly supports 
        the fundamental science and creative innovation of the program, 
        and has confirmed that progress toward the goal of producing 
        practical fusion energy has been excellent;
            (7) each of these reviews stressed the need for the Fusion 
        Energy Sciences Program to move forward to a magnetic fusion 
        burning plasma experiment, capable of producing substantial 
        fusion power output and providing key information for the 
        advancement of fusion science;
            (8) the National Academy of Sciences has also called for a 
        broadening of the Fusion Energy Sciences Program research base 
        as a means to more fully integrate the fusion science community 
        into the broader scientific community; and
            (9) the Fusion Energy Sciences Program budget is inadequate 
        to support the necessary science and innovation for the present 
        generation of experiments, and cannot accommodate the cost of a 
        burning plasma experiment constructed by the United States, or 
        even the cost of key participation by the United States in an 
        international effort.

SEC. 3. PLAN FOR FUSION EXPERIMENT.

    (a) Plan for United States Fusion Experiment.--The Secretary of 
Energy (in this Act referred to as ``the Secretary''), on the basis of 
full consultation with, and the recommendation of, the Fusion Energy 
Sciences Advisory Committee (in this Act referred to as ``FESAC''), 
shall develop a plan for United States construction of a magnetic 
fusion burning plasma experiment for the purpose of accelerating 
scientific understanding of fusion plasmas. The Secretary shall request 
a review of the plan by the National Academy of Sciences, and shall 
transmit the plan and the review to the Congress by July 1, 2004.
    (b) Requirements of Plan.--The plan described in subsection (a) 
shall--
            (1) address key burning plasma physics issues; and
            (2) include specific information on the scientific 
        capabilities of the proposed experiment, the relevance of these 
        capabilities to the goal of practical fusion energy, and the 
        overall design of the experiment including its estimated cost 
        and potential construction sites.
    (c) United States Participation in an International Experiment.--In 
addition to the plan described in subsection (a), the Secretary, on the 
basis of full consultation with, and the recommendation of, FESAC, may 
also develop a plan for United States participation in an international 
burning plasma experiment for the same purpose, whose construction is 
found by the Secretary to be highly likely and where United States 
participation is cost effective relative to the cost and scientific 
benefits of a domestic experiment described in subsection (a). If the 
Secretary elects to develop a plan under this subsection, he shall 
include the information described in subsection (b), and an estimate of 
the cost of United States participation in such an international 
experiment. The Secretary shall request a review by the National 
Academies of Sciences and Engineering of a plan developed under this 
subsection, and shall transmit the plan and the review to the Congress 
no later than July 1, 2004.
    (d) Authorization of Research and Development.--The Secretary, 
through the Fusion Energy Sciences Program, may conduct any research 
and development necessary to fully develop the plans described in this 
section.

SEC. 4. PLAN FOR FUSION ENERGY SCIENCES PROGRAM.

    Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary, in full consultation with FESAC, shall develop and 
transmit to the Congress a plan for the purpose of ensuring a strong 
scientific base for the Fusion Energy Sciences Program and to enable 
the experiment described in section 3. Such plan shall include as its 
objectives--
            (1) to ensure that existing fusion research facilities and 
        equipment are more fully utilized with appropriate measurements 
        and control tools;
            (2) to ensure a strengthened fusion science theory and 
        computational base;
            (3) to encourage and ensure that the selection of and 
        funding for new magnetic and inertial fusion research 
        facilities is based on scientific innovation and cost 
        effectiveness;
            (4) to improve the communication of scientific results and 
        methods between the fusion science community and the wider 
        scientific community;
            (5) to ensure that adequate support is provided to optimize 
        the design of the magnetic fusion burning plasma experiments 
        referred to in section 3; and
            (6) to ensure that inertial confinement fusion facilities 
        are utilized to the extent practicable for the purpose of 
        inertial fusion energy research and development.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for the 
development and review of the plans described in this Act and for 
activities of the Fusion Energy Sciences Program $320,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2002 and $335,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.