42 U.S.C. § 18645 (THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE)
§ 18645. Fusion energy
(a) Fusion materials research and development
As part of the activities authorized in section 16318 of this title—
(1) the Director, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy of the Department, shall carry out research and development activities to identify, characterize, and demonstrate materials that can endure the neutron, plasma, and heat fluxes expected in a fusion power system; and
(2) the Director shall provide an assessment of—
(A) the need for one or more facilities that can examine and test potential fusion and next generation fission materials and other enabling technologies relevant to the development of fusion power; and
(B) whether a single new facility that substantially addresses magnetic fusion and next generation fission materials research needs is feasible, in conjunction with the expected capabilities of facilities operational as of September 28, 2018.
(b) Tokamak research and development
The Director shall support research and development activities and facility operations to optimize the tokamak approach to fusion energy.
(c) Inertial fusion energy research and development
The Director shall support research and development activities for inertial fusion for energy applications.
(d) Alternative and enabling concepts
The Director shall support research and development activities and facility operations at institutions of higher education, National Laboratories, and private facilities in the United States for a portfolio of alternative and enabling fusion energy concepts that may provide solutions to significant challenges to the establishment of a commercial magnetic fusion power plant, prioritized based on the ability of the United States to play a leadership role in the international fusion research community.
(e) Coordination with ARPA–E
The Director shall coordinate with the Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (referred to in this subsection as “ARPA–E”) to—
(1) assess the potential for any fusion energy project supported by ARPA–E to represent a promising approach to a commercially viable fusion power plant;
(2) determine whether the results of any fusion energy project supported by ARPA–E merit the support of follow-on research activities carried out by the Office of Science; and
(3) avoid the unintentional duplication of activities.
(f) Omitted
(g) Identification of priorities
(1) Report
(A) In general
Not later than 2 years after September 28, 2018, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the fusion energy research and development activities that the Department proposes to carry out over the 10-year period following the date of the report under not fewer than 3 realistic budget scenarios, including a scenario based on 3-percent annual growth in the non-ITER portion of the budget for fusion energy research and development activities.
(B) Inclusions
The report required under subparagraph (A) shall—
(i) identify specific areas of fusion energy research and enabling technology development in which the United States can and should establish or solidify a lead in the global fusion energy development effort;
(ii) identify priorities for initiation of facility construction and facility decommissioning under each of the three budget scenarios described in subparagraph (A); and
(iii) assess the ability of the fusion workforce of the United States to carry out the activities identified under clauses (i) and (ii), including the adequacy of programs at institutions of higher education in the United States to train the leaders and workers of the next generation of fusion energy researchers.
(2) Process
In order to develop the report required under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall leverage best practices and lessons learned from the process used to develop the most recent report of the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel of the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel.
(3) Requirement
No member of the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee shall be excluded from participating in developing or voting on final approval of the report required under paragraph (1)(A).
(Pub. L. 115–246, title III, § 307, Sept. 28, 2018, 132 Stat. 3148.)
heading: Codification
text: Section is comprised of section 307 of Pub. L. 115–246. Subsec. (f) of section 307 of Pub. L. 115–246 amended section 2053 of this title.