Fusion Innovation Act of 2015

Summary: Fusion Innovation Act of 2015 Directs the Office of Science of the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a Fusion Innovation Initiative, under which the Office shall issue a competitive, merit-reviewed funding opportunity announcement to solicit proposals for engineering designs for innovative fusion energy systems, including upgrades to existing facilities, which have the potential to demonstrate net energy production not later than seven years after the start of construction. Requires a recipient to submit the design within 18 months after receiving funding. Directs the Office to assign top priority to, and provide expedited financial support for, relevant construction activities for any design that the Office determines merits support. Directs DOE to establish open, transparent processes to share unclassified resources and information that will accelerate the advancement of fusion energy technologies among researchers from the National Laboratories (specified DOE-owned laboratories), institutions of higher education, and the private sector. Directs the Office to: (1) establish processes to make unclassified, proprietary simulation codes relevant to the development of a fusion energy system, that are controlled by a National Laboratory, available to researchers from other National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, and the private sector; (2) support shared platforms for the co-development of simulation codes for fusion energy systems among such researchers; and (3) establish a process for fusion researchers from the National Laboratories to serve limited-term residencies at private sector companies working to advance fusion technologies. Directs DOE to submit a report assessing its capabilities to authorize, host, and oversee privately funded fusion prototypes with up to 20 megawatts thermal output and related demonstration facilities at DOE-owned sites.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fusion Innovation Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FUSION INNOVATION INITIATIVE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science of the 
Department of Energy shall establish a Fusion Innovation Initiative. 
Under the Initiative, the Director shall issue a competitive, merit-
reviewed funding opportunity announcement to solicit proposals for 
engineering designs for innovative fusion energy systems, including 
upgrades to existing facilities, which have the potential to 
demonstrate net energy production not later than 7 years after the 
start of construction.
    (b) Application Requirements.--In order to be eligible to receive 
an award under this section, an applicant shall submit an application 
to the Director that includes--
            (1) a detailed cost estimate and schedule for construction 
        of the design, including a summary of any design modifications 
        that would accelerate the achievement of net energy production; 
        and
            (2) an assessment of the scalability of the design.
    (c) Award and Design Submission.--
            (1) Award.--The Director shall review each application 
        submitted under subsection (b) and shall provide awards to 
        applicants with design concepts that the Director considers to 
        have potential based on the criteria described in subsection 
        (a).
            (2) Design submission.--As a condition of receiving such 
        award, the Director shall require any such applicant to submit 
        the design upon which the application is based to the Director 
        not later than 18 months after receipt of the award.
    (d) Assessment.--The Director shall carry out an assessment of each 
design submitted under subsection (c)(2) to determine which designs, if 
any, merit support from the Department due to their potential to 
demonstrate net energy production not later than 7 years after the 
start of construction, and shall--
            (1) submit the assessment to Congress not later than 30 
        months after the date of enactment of this Act; and
            (2) assign top priority to, and provide expedited financial 
        support (to the extent provided in advance in appropriations 
        Acts) for, relevant construction activities for any design that 
        the Director determines merits such support, based on the 
        project management practices of the Office of Science.

SEC. 3. RESOURCE AND INFORMATION SHARING.

    (a) In General.--To the extent practicable, the Secretary of Energy 
shall establish open, transparent processes to share unclassified 
resources and information that will accelerate the advancement of 
fusion energy technologies among researchers from the National 
Laboratories, institutions of higher education, and the private sector. 
Such resources and information shall include--
            (1) advanced computing platforms and simulation codes;
            (2) diagnostic equipment information; and
            (3) pulsed power system information.
    (b) Computing.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish processes to 
        make unclassified, proprietary simulation codes relevant to the 
        development of a fusion energy system, that are controlled by a 
        National Laboratory, available to researchers from other 
        National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, and 
        the private sector.
            (2) Shared platforms.--The Secretary shall support shared 
        platforms for the codevelopment of simulation codes for fusion 
        energy systems among researchers from the National 
        Laboratories, institutions of higher education, and the private 
        sector.
    (c) Personnel Exchanges.--The Secretary shall establish a process 
for fusion researchers from the National Laboratories to serve limited-
term residencies at private sector companies working to advance fusion 
technologies. Such residencies shall be entirely supported by the host 
companies.

SEC. 4. FUSION DEMONSTRATION SITES.

    (a) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with 
the National Laboratories, relevant Federal agencies, and stakeholders, 
shall transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate a report assessing the Department of Energy's 
capabilities to authorize, host, and oversee privately funded fusion 
prototypes with up to 20 megawatts thermal output and related 
demonstration facilities at sites owned by the Department.
    (b) Report Elements.--The report described in subsection (a) shall 
address the following:
            (1) The Department's safety review and oversight 
        capabilities.
            (2) Potential sites capable of hosting research, 
        development, and demonstration of prototype reactors and 
        related facilities, for the purpose of reducing technical risk.
            (3) The Department's and the National Laboratories' 
        existing physical and technical capabilities relevant to 
        research, development, and oversight.
            (4) The efficacy of the Department's available contractual 
        mechanisms, including cooperative research and development 
        agreements, work-for-others agreements, and agreements for 
        commercializing technology.
            (5) Potential cost structures related to physical security, 
        decommissioning, liability, and other long-term project costs.
            (6) Other challenges or considerations identified by the 
        Secretary, including issues related to potential cases of 
        demonstration reactors with up to 2 gigawatts of thermal 
        output.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL LABORATORIES.

    In this Act, the term ``National Laboratories'' has the meaning 
given the term in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
15801).