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Background Information and Reviews of the U. S. and World Fusion Programs

• Fresh Start for Fusion Project as New Leader Shakes Up Management - Science - Osamu Motojima, the new ITER Director General  announced a new management structur for the ITER central organization, and expressed his goal to simplify the decision processes and project execution.  In an attempt to forestall future budget battles, the ITER Council last week placed a cap on the overall budget of the reactor, to be built in Cadarache, France. Building ITER on time and on budget will be a “tough job,” Motojima admits. August 05, 2010
• Extraordinary ITER Council meeting approves the Project baseline- (ITER Project) The ITER Council unanimously approved the ITER baseline as presented by the ITER Organization, in particular, the Overall Project Schedule (OPS), and the Overall Project Cost (OPC) with a capping to foster cost containment. Regarding the ITER Project Schedule, the main milestone is to achieve the First Plasma in November 2019. The start of Deuterium-Tritium operation is planned for March 2027. The ITER Council however encouraged the ITER Organization to explore ways to optimize the schedule in order to begin Deuterium-Tritium operation in 2026, if possible. Another important decision of this extraordinary meeting was the appointment of Prof. Osamu Motojima as new Director-General of the ITER Organization, from 28 July 2010. Kaname Ikeda, who has led the ITER Organization since November 2005, had earlier expressed his wish to resign at the moment the ITER baseline would be approved by the ITER Council. The ITER Council approved the main management structure of the ITER Organization which was presented by Mr. Motojima. The new management structure will be effective as of 28 July 2010. July 28, 2010
• States agree on new funding, schedule for nuclear fusion plan AFP July 29, 2010, 1:33 am  CADARACHE, France (AFP) - The European Union and six states backing a multi-billion-dollar nuclear fusion project said Wednesday they had reached a deal on the financing and timetable for the experimental reactor. ITER's governing council reached the deal after a two-day meeting in Cadarache at which Europe pledged to provide additional financing of a maximum 6.6 billion euros (8.5 billion dollars), it said in a statement. It also formalised a decision to abandon its goal of 2018 to obtain the first plasma and set November 2019 as its new target. The meeting also named Japanese physicist Osamu Motojima as ITER's new director-general, to replace his compatriot Kaname Ikeda. The total estimated bill for the EU has doubled to 7.2 billion euros (9.2 billion dollars), with the overall cost now reckoned to be around 15 billion euros (19.2 billion dollars). July 28, 2010
• Senate Energy and Water Bill for FY2011 Marked up by Appropriations Committee - Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) would be funded at $384.0 million, a decrease of $42.0 million below the FY10 enacted level and $4.0 million above the budget request. Inertial Confinement Fusion Ignition and High-yield Campaign- The Committee recommends $481,548,000 as requested. Within these funds, at least $62,477,000 and $48,000,000 shall be used for inertial confinement fusion activities at the University of Rochester's Omega facility and Sandia National Laboratory's Z facility, respectively.  July 25. 2010
• Funding for nuclear fusion - Expensive Iteration -The Economist  describes its take on the the funding difficulties faced by ITER, the huge international fusion-reactor project. (pdf archive version) July 22, 2010
• Latest EU Plan to cover ITER Cost Over run raids Research Budget and Agricultural Subsidy - ScienceInsider - The European Commission, the E.U.'s executive body, revealed today how it intends to pay for the ballooning cost of the international ITER fusion reactor, which is due to begin construction in Cadarache, France, this month. Faced with a backlash from the European Parliament and from researchers, the commission is not going to take all of the €1.4 billion needed for ITER before the end of 2013 from the research budget, as the E.U. member states had suggested. Instead, the commission will take only €460 million from the current Framework research program (FP7). The commission wants to take another €400 million from a section of the E.U. budget for agricultural subsidies. Where the remaining €540 million will come from will be decided later this year. ( pdf archive version)  July 20, 2010
• Plan for EU to cover ITER Cost Overrun is not a done deal - ScienceInsider -  In a response to the Council's proposal seen by Science, the commission says that the council's proposals "would not resolve the long-term financing problems of ITER." The commission went on to say that it "reserves its position concerning the approval of the project baseline as well as its right to make more appropriate proposals to the budgetary authority." That budgetary authority, which must sign off on any changes to the budget, is the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, and the latter, according to a source in the commission, is very unlikely to approve a raiding of the budget for ITER.( pdf archive version) July 18, 2010
• Energy Research Takes a Hit in House Spending Bill for 2011 -ScienceInsider- In a mark-up of the budget for 2011, a spending panel in the House of Representatives has trimmed the budget for DOE's Office of Science from a requested $5.121 billion to $4.900 billion. That $221 million drop is actually $4 million less than the office is getting for the current fiscal year, which ends 30 September. July 16, 2010
• National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges for Energy Summit  Duke University- Session on Fusion Energy has talks:  Inertial Fusion Energy by Ed Moses, Magnetic Fusion Energy by Ned Sauthoff, Fusion Power Plant Conssiderations by Farrokj Najmabadi and a panel discussion.  Mar 3-5, 2010, posted July 16, 2010
  
• EU agrees to fund ITER Construction Cost Overrun - BBC-After months of protracted negotiations, the monies were finally sanctioned at an Agriculture and Fish Council meeting on 12 July. The funds will come from a variety of sources within the EU budget, including from its research budget (the Framework Programme 7). The approval of additional cash paves the way for a special Council meeting of ITER itself, which will take place on 27-28 July. This meeting will define the scope and schedule for the project. July 13, 2010
• EU research funds to be diverted to fusion reactor: Nature-Ailing ITER may get bailout from framework programme, Nature  466, 171 (2010)- European nations hope to redirect more than €1 billion (US$1.25 billion) earmarked for research grants to make up a budget shortfall at the experimental ITER fusion reactor. The proposal has alarmed scientists, who say that it will rob researchers of vital funds at a time when governments are planning to scale back domestic research budgets in response to the global economic downturn. pdf version  July 7, 2010
• Fusion reactor set to raid Europe's research funds - Nature Online July 1, 2010.  The €1.4-billion gap in EU funding for the ITER project could be plugged with Framework cash from other research programs in the 7th Framework. European nations hope to divert more than a billion euros that were earmarked for research grants to make up a budget shortfall at the experimental ITER fusion reactor, Nature  has learned. pdf version  July 1, 2010
• The National Academy of Science will assess the prospects for inertial confinement fusion energy systems.   June 25, 2010
  
• The Next Generation of Fusion Energy Research -  Hearing  before the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Committee on Science and Technology, House of Representatives, 111th Congress, First Session, October 29, 2009.  Transcript of the first Congressional hearing on fusion in nearly twenty years.  June 17, 2010
• ITER Council defers decisions on rebaselined scope, schedule, cost and management recomendations until another ITER Council meeting in July, 2010 - The ITER Members agreed to hold a Council Meeting in Cadarache, France in the last week of July 2010 when all delegations expect to be in a position to complete discussions on the next steps of the ITER project. Official Press Release . June 17, 2010
• ITER Still Seeking Approval—and Money  -ScienceInsider - The governing council of the ITER fusion reactor project has again passed up the chance to give final approval to the €16 billion project's baseline, the detailed document describing the reactor's design, schedule, and cost. But delegates at the council meeting in Suzhou, China, on 16 to 17 June did set a date for the baseline's final approval: the last week in July, by which time the European Union (E.U.), which is shouldering 45% of the project's cost, is expected to have sorted out its financial difficulties. June 18, 2010
• "Fusion 'Consolation Prize" Gears Up for Show Time (Science) -In February 2007, Japan and Euratom agreed on a plan for a Broader Approach to fusion energy that includes: a fusion neutron irradiation facility, fusion reactor design activites and a superconducting satellite tokamak.  The project has been initiated and the first buildings were completed on schedule. June 17, 2010
• Funding crisis for nuclear fusion project ITER - A multi-billion euro international research project has run into deep financial trouble as EU governments scramble to find money to meet spiralling costs. However, with European credibility at stake, officials say there is no question of abandoning the project despite the yawning funding gaps. Europe's bill for the France-based ITER project cost estimate has almost trebled, leaving cash-strapped finance ministers to question the merits of the investment. The ITER Council, which governs the project, meets in China on 16-17 June but it is far from certain that Europe will have a clear position on where it will find additional money. The task force set up by research ministers has already met twice this month (June 3 and 5) and could meet twice more in the coming weeks. The issue will also be discussed when diplomats meet in Brussels next month ahead of the next Competitiveness Council in July. Key elements of the ITER Council agenda could be postponed if a deal cannot be reached in the meantime, but diplomats say that unilaterally withdrawing from the international consortium is not an option. (archive file-pdf) June 10, 2010
• A Call to Triple U.S. Spending on Energy Research- WASHINGTON - The United States is badly lagging in basic research on new forms of energy, deepening the nation’s dependence on dirty fuels and crippling its international competitiveness, a diverse group of business executives (ncluding Bill Gates, Norm Augustine)  warn in a study  released Thursday. June 9,  2010
• Financial meltdown imperils reactor- Nature - Faced with a huge budget shortfall, Europe rethinks future of ITER fusion project. Left unresolved, the impasse in Europe will, at best, delay the project further. At worst, it could cause ITER to unravel entirely. May 28, 2010
• No Solution Yet to ITER's Budget Crunch - ScienceInsider - With only a few weeks to go before an important meeting of ITER's governing council, European nations failed at a meeting of the Competitiveness Council yesterday to agree on a way to guarantee funding for the ambitious fusion reactor project. Germany, for one, is not willing to write a blank check for the project and will only commit to covering the 2013 shortfall. May 27, 2010
• America Competes Act would set an Energy Mission for the US Fusion Program - The AMERICA COMPETES REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2010 was reintroduced on the floor of the House today. By a vote of 262 to 150, legislators authorized $84 billion for research, education, and innovation programs over the next 5 years at the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology under the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act (HR 5116).  Detailed language regarding US Fusion program activities  May 28, 2010
• New director floated for international fusion reactor Nature News - Osamu Motojima, a distinguished Japanese physicist, is being floated as the project's new chief, Nature has learned. May 6, 2010
• EU Commission Plans for a near tripling of  ITER Construction Cost  - Europa The Commission has adopted a Communication to the European Parliament and the Council which concludes that in view of substantial overall cost increases for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which have more than doubled the costs for Europe (to around €7.2 billion instead of an initial expected €2.7 billion), a sustainable financial framework should be established. Member States should provide a clear financial commitment throughout the life of the project and a mechanism for dealing with any further overruns should be agreed, subject to an overall cap. In particular, a total of around €1.4 billion is needed to meet the estimated cost increases in the EURATOM Community contribution to ITER in 2012 and 2013. This funding should be found either by raising the ceiling in the EU budget or through additional finance directly from the Member States. Given the increased level of maturity of the design and the implementation of costing methodologies that could take into account more detailed data on the project, these estimates are not expected to undergo material variation in the short term. May 6, 2010
• Russian /Italian Collaboration agreement ignites discussion on adding an additional fusion capable facility to Broaden the International Magnetic Fusion Program thereby strengthening the technical basis and accelerating the time scale for a Magnetic Fusion  Demonstration facility. 
• Fusion reactor aims to rival ITER.  But scientists doubt that IGNITOR will lead to fusion power. Nature News April 30, 2010
  
• Russia, Italy to build experimental thermonuclear reactor - VILLA GERNETTO, Italy, April 26 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Ministry of Education and Science and Italy's Ministry of Education, Universities and Research have signed a memorandum on intentions regarding cooperation in the construction of an experimental thermonuclear reactor /tokamak/ and other initiatives in nuclear physics. It envisions the construction of the Ignitor experimental thermonuclear reactor on the Russian territory by experts from both countries. The Ignitor is the latest arrival in the tokamak family of thermonuclear power-generating units. April 26, 2010
• Report Calls for Improvements At Livermore's Giant Laser - A new U.S. government audit of the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory says the $4 billion behemoth faces "scientific and technical challenges and management weaknesses." But scientists associated with the project believe that the machine will do great science if Congress gives it a chance to flex its muscles.  April 16, 2010
• National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges for Energy Summit  Duke University- Session on Fusion Energy has talks:  Inertial Fusion Energy by Ed Moses, Magnetic Fusion Energy by Ned Sauthoff, Fusion Power Plant Conssiderations by Farrokj Najmabadi and a panel discussion.  Mar 3-5, 2010
  
• ITER Heads of Delegation Met to Discuss ITER Rebaseline Activity - During the Feb 23-24 meeting, the schedule and its improved risk mitigation measures were presented by the ITER Organization. The Members were pleased to note the progress made, and gave us their full support to move ahead. The next step now will be to present the improved schedule to the Management Advisory Committee (MAC), which will hold an exceptional meeting on 10-11 March in preparation for a possible consensus before the next ITER Council meeting in June. February 26, 2010
• A 20-year Vision for the UK Contribution to Fusion as an Energy Source - UK Research Council releases report on an expert group's assessment of potential of fusion energy. Key Points The science and engineering research challenges ahead to realise fusion as a commercial energy source are major and the timescales are long and uncertain. Fusion is likely to contribute to energy systems after 2050. The potential of fusion energy to contribute as a major component of the future global energy system is sufficiently large that it should be pursued in the UK; this is an area of international excellence in terms of research and skilled people in the UK which is contributing to a global challenge. February 26, 2010
• RCUK position statement on the recent reports regarding the development of a new UK based inertial fusion power station February 26, 2010
• ITER Prepares for Cost and Schedule Rebaselining Report due in February 2010
• US ITER Activities reviewed by DOE Panel headed by Lehman - The review team determined that the US ITER Project Office is efficiently using its available resources to make reasonable progress and provide the U.S. in-kind contributions to the ITER Organization in a timely way. The team found USIPO cost estimates to be near or at the upper limit of the established range, principally due to more risk events, better understanding of uncertainties, improved cost estimates from industry, and changing requirements. February 8, 2010
• Russian Prime Minister Putin meets with Academician Velikhov, celebrate Velikhov's 75th birthday and discuss ITER issues.  February 7, 2010
  
• Interest in reactor cools as construction costs soar :  - europeanvoice.com, Feb 4, 2010 - European governments want to slow down construction of ITER. Other countries involved in the ITER project are, however, strongly opposed to any kind of delay. The countries participating in the ITER project will hold a special high-level meeting on 23-24 February to try to resolve the dispute.  February 7, 2010
• European ITER Manager Sacked:  Softpedia - Officials want the project back on track February 6, 2010
• Delays prompt reshuffle at ITER fusion project - in an effort to put the world's largest scientific experiment back on track after delays and cost overruns, Europe is shaking up the agency overseeing its portion of the multinational ITER reactor. NatureNews February 5, 2010 February 5, 2010
• President's Budget Request for FY 2011 of $3.8 trillion (10.6%) of the GDP was released today. 
• DOE Budget Request for FY 2011 is $31.165 billion including ARRA funding, up 7.8% from $28.915 billion in Fy 2010.
• Secretary Chu's presentation of FY 2011 budget rollout
• DOE FY 2011 Budget Highlights  February 3, 2010
• Detailed DOE FY 2010 Budget justifications - it is all here
  
• DOE Office of Science request for FY 2011 is $5.121 billion up, 4.4% from FY 2010
• Office of Science Budget Rollout Presentation - Brinkman  February 2, 2010
• Office of Science Budget Request detailed justification
  
• DOE Office of Basic Energy  Sciences request  is $1.835 billion, up 12.1% from FY 2010 
  
• DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences request  is $0.380 billion, down 10.8% from FY 2010
• Fusion FY 2011 Budget Rollout
  
• Fusion FY 2011Budget Request Detailed Justification
  
• DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) request for FY 2011 - Inertial Confinement Fusion Ignition and High Yield Campaign would receive $482 M, compared to $442 M in FY 2009 and $458 M in FY2010. The NNSA "Science Campaign" would receive $365 M, compared to $316 M in FY 2009 and $295 in FY 2010.(from Fusion Power Associates)
• DOE NNSA Budget Detail Justification
• Ignition and High Yield Campaign Detailed Justification
• Advanced Simulation and Computation Campaign Detailed Justification
  
• News Items related to FY 2011 Budget
• FY 2011 Department of Energy Office of Science Request - sends a message to ITER.  AIP FYI  February 3, 2010
• FY 2011 President's Budget Submitted to Congress - Fusion Power Associates
  
• Energy Science Gets a Boost, But No Joy for ITER - Science Insider
  
• LHC to Run at Half-Energy, Tightening Race for Higgs - The world’s highest energy atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), will run at half its maximum energy through 2011 and likely not at all in 2012.  Science Insider Feb 2, 2010. posted Feb 4, 2010
  
• Are the world's helium reserves sufficient to support magnetic fusion energy?  The NRC released a report "SELLING THE NATION’S HELIUM RESERVE"  as a follow up to the NRC's prior report "The Impact of Selling the Federal Helium Reserve" issued in 2000.  An article appeared in this weeks Science and another in  Physics World expressing concern about the availability of helium for scientific applications in the future.   For a discussion of helium resources and fusion helium needs see DEMO and the Route to Fusion Power -D Stork  February 1, 2010
• Test Shots Show Laser-Fusion Experiment is on Target - First experiments on NIF with laser energies in the MJ range are encouraging.  Science 29 January 2010, January 28, 2010
• Symmetric Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions at Ultra-High Laser Energies - early experimental results from NIF - Science Express Reports  online 28 January 2010 January 28, 2010
• Research Needs for Fusion-Fission Hybrids - Report of the Research Needs Workshop (ReNeW) held Sept 30-Oct 2, 2009.  Additional information is available at the Fusion-Fission Workshop web site.  January 26, 2010
• US Federal Budget for FY 2011 will be released on February 1, 2010.  January 20, 2010
• Nuclear Fusion has just published online  a Special Issue: Fifty Years of Fusion Research and the Road to Fusion Energy containing eight overview papers from the 2008 Fusion Energy Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.  December 30, 2009
• 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15)  Copenhagen, December 7-18, December, 2009. December 7, 2009
• It's All about Energy - one person's view of 12 alternate energy sources
• Tuesday, 15 December, the European Commission is chairing a panel discussion on low-carbon technologies. Sir David King will speak about fusion.
  
• Fusion Energy: Status and Prospects – Thirty-Year Anniversary Meeting and Symposium of Fusion Power Associates was held Dec 2-3, 2009 in Washington, DC.  A total of 37 presentations were made including comments from Congressman Rush Holt, DOE Under Secretary for Science Steven Koonin and Adam Rosenberg, staff for Committee on Science and Technology.  December 6, 2009
• Japan Science Programs Threatened by Budget Cuts
  
• Japan  budget threat sparks backlash – Nature,  In the last few days of the working-group hearings, which ended on 27 November, the groups gave full support to a prototype Japanese–European fusion reactor, part of the international ITER atomic-fusion project, in line with the Hatoyama administration's enthusiasm for developing new energy sources and green technology.  December 1, 2009
• Japanese science faces deep cuts -  The government's election promises vowed more support for science, but so far budgets look set to shrink. Nature  462, 258-259 (2009) November 17, 2009
• ITER Council Meeting concludes
• Schedule Concerns Delay ITER’s Go-Ahead -The scientific and engineering team building the ITER fusion reactor failed to win an expected endorsement from the project's governing council last week. Science  November 27, 2009
  
• EU Puts the Brakes on Fusion Project- Firing up ITER in 2018 is not feasible ,warn council delegates, Nature News November 19, 2009
• ITER Fusion Reactor Faces New Delay - ScienceInsider
• ITER Implements Global Procurement & Manufacturing-Project  Report summary, Press Release
  
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• ITER prepares for a series of high level meetings this month to assess progress toward rebaseling the Construction Cost and Schedule
• ITER Blueprints Near Completion, But Financial Hurdles Lie Ahead - Science November 12, 2009
  
• EU Competitiveness Council (Oct 15-16) discussed "expected cost overruns on the international ITER. " October 27, 2009
• Commission Reports Status of ITER to Competitiveness Council, 25 September 2009 October 27, 2009
• Fusion delays sow concern Nature October 13, 2009
• The House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Energy and Environment (video rebroadcast) held a hearing on The Next Generation of Fusion Energy Research (Transcript)  on October 29, 2009.  Submitted testimony by Ed Synakowski(pdf), Stewart Prager(pdf), Thom Mason(pdf), Riccardo Betti(pdf) and Ray Fonck(pdf). October 30, 2009
• Research Needs Workshop for Magnetic Fusion Energy Science - final report has been issued.  This Report presents a portfolio of research activities for US research in magnetic fusion for the next two decades, and is intended as community input to the Office of Fusion Energy Science's preparation of a new strategic plan for the US Fusion Program.  September 4, 2009 NEW
• FY 2010 Fusion Budget Action - US House and Senate markup the Appropriation Bills that fund fusion research. July 9, 2009
• ITER Council met in Japan June 17-18, 2009 amid concerns about increased construction cost, Press Release.
  
• ITER Gets the Nod for Slower, Step-by-Step Approach Science June 25, 2009
  
• ITER Council approves 3 Year delay of first DT operation  reports Physics World June 18, 2009
• ITER falters under soaring costs BBC News June 16, 2009
• Tokamak Experiment News
  
• MIT Tokamak demonstrates a technique that could make a fusion plasmas easier to confine.  Physics Today June 18, 2009
• Firing Up Fusion - PPPL Carves Out a New Role, pdf copy, Princeton Alumni Weekly June 10, 2009
• Symposium on Fusion Engineering (SOFE 23) is being held June 1-4, 2009
• Laser Direct Drive: Scientific Advances, Technical Achievements, and the Road to Fusion Energy - John Sethian, Naval Research Laboratory June 2, 2009
• The Physics and Technology Basis of ITER and its Mission on the Path to Demo - Guenter Janeschitz, ITER Organization June 1, 2009
• Progress in FusionMaterials Research - Steve Zinkle, Oak Ridge National Laboratory June 2, 2009
• Historical Perspectives and Pathways to an Attractive Power Plant, Farrokh Najmabadi, University of California at San Diego June 2, 2009
• 50 Years of Fusion Research - Dale Meade, Fusion Innovation Research and Energy®, June 1, 2009
• National Ignition Facility, the world's most powerful laser was dedicated May 29, 2009.  Campaign to achieve D-T fusion ignition planned for 2010. Laser and NIF Technical Symposium recounts development of lasers and history of NIF.
• Lasers and Inertial Confinement Fusion  in the United States,  Robert McCrory, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics May 29, 2009
• Inertial Fusion Energy in Japan, H. Azechi Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University May 31, 2009
• The Hoped-for Laser Miracles, NY Times editorial, May 28, 2009
• In Hot Pursuit of Fusion (or Folly) -NY Times, W. Broad  May 25, 2009
• ITER to be Delayed - according to Nature News May 28, 2009
• President's Budget for FY 2010 has been released
• Overall US Federal Budget for FY 2010 submitted by the President to Congress May 7, 2009
• DOE Budget Overview May 7, 2009
• NNSA includes Inertial Fusion Confinement (NIF)
  
• Office of Science Budget - very informative, lots of new projects
• Office of Fusion Energy Sciences Program Description/funding,  and an overview summary
  
• Holdren Brings More Than Energy to His Role as Science Adviser- Science Magazine April 17. 2009 April 21, 2009
• National Ignition Facility Readies for Ignition Campaign  - Science Magazine April 17, 2009 April 21, 2009
• Bill Brinkman to be nominated for Director of the Office of Science, Department of Energy - Dr.William F. Brinkman is currently a Senior Research Physicist in the Physics Department at Princeton University. He retired as Vice President of Research from Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ. April 17, 2009
• The energy challenge is "more difficult than putting a man on the moon," John Holdren '65, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy said at the MIT Clean Energy Forum. He said that in addition to other technologies,  "We need to see if we can make fusion work.....At that time (1965) people thought fusion was 15 years away, now people think it's 40 or 50 years away, we need to shrink that time scale again by making the investments in that domain". MIT hosted the Energy Forum "Clean Power: Building a New Clean Energy Economy " on April 13, 2009  (video of complete forum)   April 15, 2009
• US Fusion Community held the first round of Research Needs Workshops (ReNeW) during March, 2009. A large number of White Papers and presentations were made at workshops on five themes: Achieving and Understanding Burning Plasmas in ITER, Creating Predicatble High-Performance Steady-State Burning Plasmas, Taming the Plasma Wall Interface, Harnessing the Power of Fusion and Optimizing Magnetic Configurations.  posted April 4, 2009
  
• Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced $1.2 billion in new science funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for major construction, laboratory infrastructure, and research efforts sponsored across the nation by the DOE Office of Science. - DOE Press Release March 23, 2009
• President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Dr. Steven E. Koonin, Under Secretary for Science, Department of Energy, March 23, 2009
• The next Really Cool Thing - Inertial Fusion, Thomas Friedman, March 23, 2009
• New Facility Propels Korea to the Fusion Forefront -( Science Feb 20, 2009) - Using innovative niobium tin superconducting magnets that should confine plasmas for minutes rather than seconds, the Korean Superconducting Tokamak Reactor (KSTAR). is poised to become a premier testbed for fusion research. February 23, 2009
• India can be the largest supplier of tritium for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar said on Tuesday. This somewhat surprising, stay tuned for followup information. February 17, 2009
• Confirmation Hearing for John Holdren as President's Science Advisor (Director of OSTP) - opening statement and webcast of hearing (starts at 34:15) February 14, 2009
• Conference Report on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the $789 Billion Stimulus Plan contains "$1.6 billion for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which funds research in such areas as climate science, biofuels, high-energy physics, nuclear physics and fusion energy sciences – areas crucial to our energy future."  ...  There are no earmarks or pet projects in this Act. February 12, 2009
• Dr Steven Chu (statement) appears before Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (webcast) on his nomination for Secretary of Energy January 16, 2009
• Fusion history beyond the fiascos - Nature Jan 15, 2009, the book "Sun in a Bottle by Charles Seife is reviewed by Jean Jacquinot. January 16, 2009
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill approved by House Appropriations Committee - included for the Department of Energy is $1.9 billion for basic research into the physical sciences including high-energy physics, nuclear physics, and fusion energy sciences and improvements to DOE laboratories and scientific facilities. $400 million is for the Advanced Research Project Agency – Energy to support high-risk, high-payoff research into energy sources and energy efficiency.  January 15, 2009
• Princeton University Awarded Five Year Contract to Manage the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. January 15, 2009
  
• Harvard physicist John P. Holdren, a leading authority on global warming and a past president of the nation's largest organization of scientists, will be nominated President-elect Barack Obama's science adviser, according to variou media sources. Obama is expected to announce the appointment Saturday during his weekly radio address. Holdren, who was an adviser to the Obama campaign, is a professor of environmental policy and director of the Program on Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and also is director of the Woods Hole Research Center in Falmouth, and a past-president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. December 10, 2008
  
• Physicist Steven Chu to be nominated for Secretary of Energy by President-elect Obama - CNBC.com, 10 Dec 2008, 05:15 PM ET - Obama also will name Lisa Jackson, currently a New Jersey environmental official, as EPA administrator and Carol Browner, a former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, as energy "czar" reporting to the President. Browner, a principal at global strategy firm The Albright Group, heads Obama's advisory team on energy and the environment. December 10, 2008
• Fusion Energy: Countdown to Ignition and Gain, Fusion Power Associates 29th Annual Meeting, December 3-4, 2008 Livermore CA. December 30, 2008
• 3rd ITER Council Meeting Meeting November 19-20 - The progress report from the Briscoe Review Panel, set up by the Council at its last meeting, made recommendations for the establishment of a well-founded cost and schedule baseline as well as effective management systems. It recommended a more integrated approach involving stronger cooperation between the ITER Organization and the Domestic Agencies.  Five Procurement Arrangements totalling 414.5 million Euros were signed at the meeting. November 23, 2008
• 22nd IAEA Fusion Energy Conference was held in Geneva CH at the site of the original Second UN Conference on  Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy in 1958 that marked the declassification of Magnetic Fusion. A number of presentations have been collected.  November 1, 2008
• Program,  and Preprints of Papers
  
• 50 years in Fusion and the Way Forward- Jean Jacquinot, CEA, France presentation
  
• Nuclear Fusion paper - Jacquinot
  
• ITER on the road to fusion energy - Nuclear fusion Paper - Ikeda, ITER
  
• Summary Talk on  Innovative Confinement Concepts, Operational Scenarios, and Confinement - Tony Taylor, General Atomics, USA
• Summary Talk on Stability, Wave-plasma interactions, Current drive, Heating, Energetic particles, Plasma-material interactions, Divertors, Limiters, SOL- Osamu Motojima, NIFS, JA
  
• Evening Session: 50-year Anniversary of Fusion Research (the papers for this session have been published in a Special Issue of Nuclear Fusion)
  
• 50Years of Magnetic Confinement Fusion Research -A Retrospective, 16 page Booklet, IAEA Staff
  
• Tokamak Foundation in USSR/RUSSIA - Valentin Smirnov, Nuclear Fusion Institute, RRC Kurchatov, Institute, Russian Federation
• Nuclear Fusion paper-Smirnov
  
• Some Highlights of 50 Years of Fusion Research - Dale Meade, FIRE, Princeton, NJ USA
• Nuclear Fusion paper-Meade
  
• Magnetic Fusion Power Development for Global Warming Suppression - Jiangang Li, Institute of Plasma Physics, CAS, China
• Nuclear Fusion paper - Li
  
• Inertial Fusion Power Development Path for Global Warming Suppression - Kunioki Mima, Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Japan
• Nuclear Fusion paper - Mima
  
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• Report of the EU Fusion Facilities Review Panel October 2008 - "R&D Needs and Required Facilities for the Development of Fusion as an Energy Source"  - In December 2007 the European Commission established an independent Panel for a review of the R&D visions and the required facilities of the European fusion programme. This review which is stipulated by the EURATOM FP7 Specific Programme on Fusion Research has the “motivations to support the rapid and efficient development of fusion as an energy source and to maintain in the programme the facilities needed to fulfil its medium and long term objectives”. A vision of the R&D required to make fusion energy production ready for commercial exploitation shall be developed and all significant facilities, existing or under construction including proposed or considered upgrades, shall be reviewed. The required facilities should be incorporated in a road map; and prioritised according to the corresponding benefits, costs and risks. October 21, 2008
• Large Hadron Collider First Beam: Sept 10, 2008 - Robert Aymar Director General of CERN(and former Director of ITER) led the final push to complete the world's largest accelerator, LHC.  With the completion of the LHC and beginning the construction of ITER, Europe is now the undisputed world leader in Big Science. September 11, 2008
• Ray Fonck completes assignment as Associate Director for the DOE Office of Fusion Energy Science (July 31, 2008) - Professor Ray Fonck is returning to the University of Wisconsin, as DOE begins the search for a replacement. July 31, 2008
• U.S. Participation in International Fusion Research Needs Stable Funding National Research Council Report - To date, U.S. plans for participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project have been effective and well thought out, says a new National Research Council report. However, funding uncertainties cast doubt on U.S. commitment to this international collaboration. Stable U.S. funding is needed to effectively plan for participation in ITER, to benefit from coming fusion energy research, and to take part in future international scientific collaborations.  (pdf) July 29, 2008
•  Independent assessment of the resource estimates for ITER construction is underway - An international review panel headed by Frank Briscoe will review the cost estimates for ITER Council and will report their results to the ITER Management Advisory Council meeting in October 2008. July 29, 2008
• Stewart Prager chosen to be next Director of PPPL - Stewart Prager, director of the Madison Symmetric Torus experiment at the University of Wisconsin and an internationally recognized leader in the field of fusion energy research, has been named director of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), effective this fall. July 18, 2008
• KSTAR achieves first plasma milestone - (July 15, Korea) This major achievement is the first success story on the operation of a superconducting fusion research device using Nb3Sn magnets, the same superconducting magnet technology as ITER.  Korea has now become one of the leading countries in world fusion research by operating a prominent experimental facility to support preparation for ITER Operation. Photographic sequence of KSTAR plasma discharge.  July 14, 2008
  
• SKorean fusion reactor takes step forward: scientists AFP July 15, 2008
• Korea a Step Closer to Ultimate Energy Source The Korea Times July 15, 2008
  
• SKorean fusion reactor takes step forward: scientists PhysicOrg July 15, 2008
• DOE issues Request for Proposal (RFP) to award a contract for the management and operation of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). July 4, 2008 
• ITER Project to receive $15.5M of the $62.5M approved for the Ofice of Science in the Supplemental Appropriations Bill for FY2008.  Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Thom Mason said Wednesday the supplemental funding will be used to keep the U.S. team together and sustain operations until the 2009 budget is approved. July 3, 2008
• ITER Costs Give Partners Pause – Last week, ITER scientists revealed a new cost estimate for the multibillion-dollar fusion reactor that was 30% higher than earlier calculations. Now the project’s seven international partners must decide whether they can afford it.  Science June 26, 2008 June 26, 2008
• US Congressional Action on Fusion Appropriations for FY 2008 and FY2009
  
• US House of Representatives Supplemental Appropriations Bill for FY 2008 prevents staff layoffs and furloughs at Office of Science Labs but does not explicitly provide help for ITER. June 21, 2008
• The Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee passed their FY09 Energy and Water Development funding bill.  "the Department is directed to provide the Committee with a report no later than March 1, 2009 which describes a bold, credible plan for a world-leading U.S. fusion program as this area becomes an increasingly international endeavor."  June 23, 2008
• ITER Council Meeting on June 17-18 in Aomori, Japan to hear report on ITER Design Review -
• ITER Gains Momentum - Official Press release from the ITER Council meeting,  The Council approved the new Project Specification proposed by the ITER Organization.  The Council also agreed, for planning purposes, to the revised Overall Project Schedule with a target date of 2018 for first plasma. A delay of two years relative to the previous first plasma date. The Council received the revised Project Plan and Resource Estimates from the ITER Organization, and agreed that the resource estimates should be independently assessed by an international group of experts.  June 17-18, 2008 June 18, 2008
• Design Changes Will Increase ITER Reactor's Cost - Science June 12, 2008, June 12, 2008
• Fusion reactor faces cost hike according to unofficial information, Nature June 12, 2008, June 12, 2008
• ORNL Stellarator - Death of a Dream,  Knoxville News Sentinel June 12, 2008
• DOE announces Cancellation of Princeton Fusion Experiment- DOE Under Secretary Ray Orbach told Princeton University officials today that DOE is closing the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) construction project. May 22, 2008
• Princeton fusion experiment axed Knoxville News Sentinel, May 21, 2008
• Energy Department Pulls Plug on Overbudget Fusion Experiment, Science, May 29. 2008
• PPPL to phase out compact stellarator experiment, upgrade spherical torus program, Princeton University, May 22, 2008
• U.S. orders shutdown of fusion energy project at Forrestal,  Princeton Packet, June 3, 2008
  
• US stellarator aborted Physics Today, July 3, 2008
  
• Nobel laureates urge President Bush to request emergency supplemental FY 08 funding of at least $310 million for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science; $170 million for the National Science Foundation; and $30 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology to avoid damage to basic science research in the US.  This would include funds to support the US committment for the construction of ITER. May 9, 2008
• America’s Energy Future a two-day workshop (March 13-14) hosted by NAS and NAE had presentations by U.S. government officials and leading energy experts. The event will inform the ongoing study “America’s Energy Future: Technology Opportunities, Risks, and Tradeoffs.”   March 15, 2008, posted April 9, 2008
• National Academy of Engineering releases report on Grand Challenges for Engineering - Fourteen Grand Challenges have been identified including provide energy from fusion. February 23, 2008
• AAAS Annual Meeting Science and Technology from a Global Perspective Feb 14-18, 2008, Boston MA  
• Progress in Magnetic Fusion Energy Research: 50 Years of International Collaboration and Future Prospects - Symposium organized by M. Porkolab (MIT Cambridge, MA) and B. Ripin (Research Applied, Bethesda, MD)
  
• Fusion Research: 50 Years of International Scientific Collaboration - Evgeny P. Velikhov, Kurchatov Institute, Russian Federation February 20, 2008
• Fusion Power, and Who Needs It? An Updated Assessment - Predhiman Kaw, Institute of Plasma Research, India
• U.S. International Collaboration in Fusion Research and Participation in the ITER Project - Raymond Fonck, U.S. Department of Energy
• International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA): A paradigm for international collaboration in science - Ron Stambaugh, General Atomics, USA
• Advances in Technology To Realize Fusion Energy in the International Context - Kathryn McCarthy, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
• Strengthening and Accelerating the Development of Fusion Energy - Chris Llewellyn Smith, UKAEA, Culham, UK
  
• High-Powered Lasers: Fusion Ignition and Concomitant Scientific Opportunities - Symposium organized by Richard N Boyd, LLNL and Karl van Bibber, LLNL 
• Basics of Inertial Confinement Fusion - John Lindl, LLNL, USA February 20, 2008
• OMEGA Extended Performance Laser System Project - Robert McCrory, University of Rochester, USA
• National Ignition Facility: Ushering in a New Era for Experimental Science - Edward Moses,  LLNL, USA
• Fast Ignition Realization Experiment Project - Hiroshi Azechi, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
• High-Power Laser for Energy Research Project - Mike Dunne, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, United Kingdom
• High Energy Density Science with High-Powered Lasers - Raymond Jeanloz, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
  
• President's budget for FY 2009 has been released. DOE's budget is proposed at $24,725M slightly up from the FY 2008 estimate of $24,501M. The DOE Office of Science budget for FY 2009 is proposed at $4,722M up from FY 2008 estimate of $3,973 M by 18.8%.  The US ITER budget for FY 2009 is proposed at $214M up from the FY 2008 estimate of $10.6M.  The Inertial Confinement Fusion Ignition and High Yield Campaign budget for FY 2008 is $470M and $421M is proposed for FY 2009.  February 4, 2008
• Analysis of Science Budgets in President's 2009 Proposal - ScienceNOW February 5, 2008 
• National Nuclear Security Administration (including Inertial Fusion) February 4, 2008 
• Office of Science Budget Request details includes fusion details  February 4, 2008
• Overview of Science Budget Orbach VG    February 4, 2008
• Summary of Fusion Orbach- 2 VG  February 4, 2008
• Summary of Fusion Energy Sciences Fonck VG  February 5, 2008
  
• Overview of Science and Fusion FY 2009 Budgets February 4, 2008
• Overview of DOE FY 2009 Budget  February 4, 2008
• DOE FY 2007 Budget Documentation February 4, 2008
  
• Impact of Omnibus FY 2008 Appropriations Bill on US Science January16, 2008
• Orbach Interview on Impact of Budget Cuts on US Science - ScienceNOW January16, 2008
• DOE Outlines Plan for Near Term Plan for US ITER Participation January11, 2008
• US physics begins to crumble under budget strain, New Scientist January 8, 2008
• The DOE Science Budget section of the Omnibus Appropriations Bill December 18, 2007
  
• Reaction From Capitol Hill to FY 2008 S&T Funding Levels -American Institute of Physics, Jan 5, 2008
• Congressman Ehlers’ Statement on Federal Science Spending, December 21, 2007
• ITER: Looking Back, Looking Ahead - history of FY 2008 budget for fusion. American Institute of Physics, Jan 4, 2008
  
• Statement of APS Divison of Plasma Physics Officers , December 2007
• US Fusion Program Leaders Protest ITER Budget Cuts January 4, 2008
• Energy Project(ITER) Down but not Out, Senator Lamar Alexander Pledges help, January 5, 2008
  
• Statement by Fermi Lab Director on Impact of Budget Cuts, streaming video, Dec 20, 2007
• Durbin, Obama, Biggert Call On Bush Administration To Increase Funding At Fermilab, Dec 21, 2007
  
• "Britain's Sputnik", 50 years ago Britain Announced Breakthrough Results from ZETA - BBC News, January16, 2008
• A History of Britain's Attempts at Nuclear Fusion - Broadcast on BBC Radio 4, January16, 2008
• Budget blow to US science - The DOE Office of Science FY 2008 budget took big hits. Although its total science budget grew 4.6% to $4 billion, most of those increases were for supercomputers and biological research. Congress withheld (all) money for the energy department’s $160-million commitment to ITER, the international fusion reactor in France, and slashed funding for the International Linear Collider (ILC), the next-generation particle accelerator, from $60 million to $15 million. pdf Nature December 24, 2007
• U.S. Wavers Again on ITER - ITER Principal Deputy Director and ITER participants react to dramatic cuts in the US ITER budget for 2008.  ScienceNOW  December 22, 2007
• Congressional Omnibus 2008 Appropriations Bill Zeroes US ITER Funding- The bill set the budget at DOE's Office of Science at $4.055 billion--$342 million short of the requested amount--and the shortfall comes mainly out of two programs: fusion sciences and high-energy physics. Congress realized some savings by allotting nothing for U.S. participation in the international fusion reactor experiment, ITER, which is set to begin construction next year in Cadarache, France (ScienceNOW, 21 November 2006). Although appropriators expressly forbid DOE to shuffle money from other programs to satisfy its planned $149 million contribution in 2008, Marburger predicts that the prohibition will not stand. "I can't see DOE not living up to its obligations," he says. "The department will have to use its money to stay in the project, so [the language] really just amounts to another earmark." ScienceNOW December 19, 2007
• Fusion Power Associates holds Annual Meeting on "Fusion Energy: Preparing for the NIF and ITER Era" at ORNL Dec 4-5, 2007. December 6, 2007
• US National Academy to Review Planning for US Participation in ITER Science - The first meeting of the review panel will be December 14-15, 2007 in Washington, DC.  November 29, 2007
• Historic First ITER Council meeting held in Cadarache November 27-28, 2007 - The ITER Council is the supervisory body of the ITER Organization, responsible for the overall direction of its activities. The Director General and Deputies were formally apointed.  The Director-General reported on the progress of the project since the July 2007 meeting of the Interim ITER Council. Record of Discussion and list of participants can be obtained fron the ITER.  November 28, 2007
• 49th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society, Divison of Plasma Physics highlighted recent progress in fusion research. November 28, 2007
  • Maxwell Prize Address
    • The Development of Indirect Drive ICF and the Countdown to Ignition Experiments on the NIF - J Lindl, NIF, LLNL
  • Review Talks
    • Gyrokinetic Theory and Simulation of Experiments - G. W. Hammett, PPPL
    • Progress in Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Research - R. L. McCrory, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • Plasma Physics Challenges of MM-to-THz and High Power Microwave Generation - J. H. Booske, Univ Wisc, ECE
    • Alfvén Instabilities Driven by Energetic Particles in Toroidal Magnetic Fusion - W. W. Heidbrink, UC Irvine
  • Invited Talks
    • Performance of Direct-Drive Cryogenic Targets on OMEGA - V. N. Goncharov, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
  • Tutorial Talks
    • Multiscale Physics Challenges for Plasma-Facing Materials - N.M. Ghoniem (UCLA) and B. Wirth (UCB)
    • The Scientific Challenge of Burning Plasmas - J. W. Van Dam, USBPO and IFS Univ of Texas
  • University Fusion Association Meeting
    • Fusion Energy Sciences Program Update - S. Eckstrand, OFES, DOE
      
    • FESAC Planning Panel Report - M. Greenwald, MIT, Plasma Science and Fusion Center
  • ITER Design Review Session (also available at US Burning Plasma Organization web site)
    • The Status of ITER; The ITER Design Review - G. Janeschitz, FZK-PL-Fusion, Karlsruhe, Germany
    • Burning Plasma Organization Input to ITER Design Review - R. J. Hawryluk, PPPL
    • BPO Input to the ITER Design Review for In-vessel Components and Discharge Evolution - R. D. Stambaugh, GA
• GAO submits report on Fusion called for in the conference report accompanying the fiscal year 2006 Energy and Water Development appropriation bill. It requested "The GAO shall consider any other magnetic fusion confinement system as a possible fusion demonstration facility that will follow ITER and, given the NNSA investment in the physics of inertial confinement fusion, the GAO shall evaluate the opportunities for the Office of Science to develop the appropriate science and technology to leverage the NNSA investments as an alternative to the tokamak concept." October 28, 2007
• ITER Project is now a Legal Entity and Open for Business - The International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) is depositary of the ITER Agreement and has confirmed that ITER entered into force today - 30 days after having received the confirmation of adoption of the Agreement from all Parties according to their national laws and practice. The EU, acting on the basis of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, confirmed its adoption of the ITER Agreement to the IAEA on 5 February 2007. The first session of the ITER Council is scheduled for 27 and 28 November 2007. October 24, 2007
• US Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee met October 23-24, 2007 to receive and discuss reports on the Fusion Simulation Project, Research Issues and Gaps for DEMO and NCSX Prorgram. These panel reports are available as drafts and should not be quoted until finalized. October 24, 2007
  • Fusion Simulation Project, - W. Tang, PPPL, Chair
  • Priorities, GAPs and Opportunities Towards a Long Range Strategic Plan for Magnetic Fusion Energy - M Greenwald, MIT, Chair
  • NCSX Program Review - R. Hazeltine, UTexas, Chair
• South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said Friday that South Korea will grow into one of the world's top five countries in nuclear fusion energy technology by 2021 and start commercial generation of electricity from nuclear fusion by 2040. KSTAR construction milestone ceremony on September 14th in Daejon, Korea. The design of KSTAR , a fully superconducting advanced tokamak, was initiated in 1995. The KSTAR design is based on the US TPX design, and many featues were modified to make the design suitable for the Korean location. The target date for first plasma is mid 2008. New September 14, 2007
• FESAC Charged to Review the NCSX Project - In response to significant NCSX Project cost over runs and schedule delays, Ray Orbach, DOE Under Secretary for Science has charged the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee to conduct a scientific and programmatic review focused on evaluating the NCSX program and its potential effect on the U.S. fusion energy sciences program. The panel's first meeting will be at PPPL on September 15-16, and the report is due October 23, 2007. New September 12, 2007
• The second meeting of the Interim ITER Council (IIC) took place on 11 and 12 July in Tokyo, under the Chairmanship of Sir Christopher Llewellyn Smith, CCE-EU Chairman (EU).The IIC recognized the progress being made and gave direction on a number of specific points, including the plans and detailed staffing and cost estimates for the construction phase, specific aspects of the management system and proposed agreements on relations with French authorities and with other international organizations, the IAEA, and CERN. The IIC also endorsed a proposed partnership arrangement with the Principality of Monaco. July 12, 2007
• The Committee on Appropriations of the U. S. Senate has approved a bill to fund the U. S. Department of Energy in FY 2008 (which begins October 1, 2007). For Fusion Energy Sciences, the Committee recommends, $427,85,000. Key differences in the two bills passed so far are (1) House bill deletes funds requested for High Energy Density Physics but Senate bill endorses program; (2) House bill includes funding for High Average Power Laser program but Senate bill does not. Details of the Senate language can be found at Fusion Power Note - FPN07-40. July 5, 2007
• The Committee on Appropriations of the U. S. House of Representatives has approved a bill to fund the U. S. Department of Energy in FY 2008. The bill provides OFES the full funding requested by the President, but specifies that funds requested for High Energy Density Physics be transferred to other elements of the OFES program. The bill provides NNSA funds for the Naval Research Laboratory ($15M) and High Average Power Lasers ($25M) not requested by the DOE and other increases above the President's request. The complete language of the bill. (use search function for fusion) and summary of fusion related sections(Fusion Power Note 07-035). June 21, 2007
• Nation needs to focus on Plasma Science - The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science should reorient its research programs to promote plasma science research and create a focal point for federal efforts in that field, says a new report from the National Research Council. Breakthroughs in plasma science have the potential to enhance national and economic security, energy production, and general scientific knowledge. The full report is available at the NRC web page Plasma 2010: An Assessment of and Outlook for Plasma Science. May 29, 2007
• Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) Operations Terminated 10 Years ago - The construction of TFTR was started in March 1976 as part of a major US Energy R&D effort in response to the Gulf oil embargo of the mid-1970s. During the 8 year period from 1974 to 1982, the US fusion budget grew from $57M to $461M - an eight fold increase. TFTR was the first of the three large tokamaks (TFTR, JET and JT-60) beginning operation in December 24, 1982. For the next 15 years, TFTR operation defined the frontier of fusion research. In 1996, the US fusion budget was cut 35% forcing a restructuring of the US fusion program that resulted in the premature termination of TFTR on April 4, 1997 after 15 years of operation. TFTR achieved all of the original 1976 technical project goals of: 1. Study plasma physics of large tokamaks, 2. Gain experience with reactor scale engineering, 3. Demonstrate D-T fusion energy production (1 to 10 MJ per pulse), and made numerous contributions including:
  • First magnetic fusion experiment to achieve power plant fuel temperature of 200 million ° C (20 kev) (1986), and ultimately a record 510 million° C (45kev) (1995)
  • First observation of the "bootstrap current" in a tokamak, a self generated current that is the key feature of steady-state tokamak fusion power plants (1986)
  • First direct measurements of long wavelength turbulence that formed the basis for an improved theoretical modeling of turbulence (1990)
  • First magnetic fusion experiment to use fusion power plant fuel mixture of 50% deuterium (D) and 50% tritium (T) (1993)
  • First magnetic fusion experiment to produce fusion power exceeding 10 million watts (1994)
  • Record peak plasma pressure of 6 atm in a D-T plasma, higher than that expected in ITER. (1994)
  • Record fusion power densities of 0.3 million watts per cubic meter comparable to the 0.5 MW/m3 expected in ITER (1994)
  • First experimental observation of the "enhanced reversed shear" confinment mode that is now a key feature of steady-state tokamak power plant concepts. (1994)
  • First demonstration of radio frequency heating of a D-T plasma using second harmonic tritium resonance, 1994.
  • First observation of neoclassical tearing modes that limit output of high performance fusion plasmas (1995)
  • First unambiguous measurements of self-heating by alpha particles in a DT fusion plasma (1995)
  • First demonstration of mode conversion heating in a D-T plasma, 1995.
  • First measurements of instabilities excited by fusion alpha particles (1996).
  • First to identify and quantify the retention of tritium in graphite plasma facing components as a major issue for fusion power plants using trace tritium (1989) and 50/50 DT (1995)
  • First closed cycle processing of tritum on a fusion experiment using 50% deuterium (D) and 50% tritium (T) (Feb 1997)
  • TFTR engineering systems operated above the original design ratings for toroidal field and neutral beam power.
  • About 1 million curies of tritium was handled safely over a three year period during over 1,000 DT experiments.
  • The total cost of the TFTR program (design, construction, operation and decommissioning ) was $1.65 B.
  • The US fusion program expended $2.5 B during the past 10 years. April 4, 2007
• EU Finance Ministers form EU Domestic Agency fo ITER - The European Domestic Agency will be based in Barcelona, Spain and has a budget of ¤9.6 billion. During its 35 year lifetime, it will provide the contribution of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) to the ITER organisation, as well as Euratom's contribution to the 'broader approach' activities with Japan for the rapid realisation of fusion energy. March 29, 2007
• Former Vice President Al Gore testified to a Joint House Science and Commerce Subcommittee meetiing at 10:00 am March 21, and the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee at 2:30 pm. A video archive is available on the Senate web page and expected to be available on the House or C-SPAN3 web page. New York Times account of Gore testimony. March 21, 2007
• Head of DOE Fusion Energy Science Office Announced - Steenbock Professor of Engineering Physics Raymond Fonck has been named Associate Director for Fusion Energy Sciences and will formally assume the position on March 1. The Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) met March 1-2 in Gaithersburg, MD to discuss the proposed FY 2008 budget and the new Charge from DOE Under Secretary Orbach. February 28, 2007
  • Agenda
  • New Charge
  • Presentations
• AAAS President John P. Holdren Urges Swift Action to Build a Sustainable Future at AAAS Annual Meeting on Sustainability - February 18, 2007
• EU Energy Ministers Approve Draft Energy Plan - Plan calls for energy consumption reduction of 20% compared to Commission Green Paper projections for 2020, and a target of a 20 % share of renewable energies in overall EU energy consumption by 2020; This was part of the preparations for the Spring European Council on 8-9 March and a step forward for European energy policy. UK Environmental Minister calls for 30% reduction in harmful gas emissions by 2020. February 18, 2007
• International team releases cost estimate for the International Linear Collider (ILC) - Science Feb 8, 2007 - The total cost of the 35 kilometer long accelerator would be $15B if costed according to US project rules. The draft ILC Reference Design Report 2007 describes details such as cost estimates. Posted February 15, 2007
• Today (February 5, 2007), Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Mr. Hugh Richardson, the Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Commission to Japan, signed the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the European Atomic Energy Community for the Joint Implementation of the Broader Approach Activities in the Field of Fusion Energy Research in Tokyo. The Broader Approach is an example of the Multi-Machine Strategy proposed for the past decade in the U.S. February 5, 2007.
• President's budget for FY 2008 has been released. DOE's budget is proposed at $23,043M about the same as the FY 2007 estimate of $23,092M. The DOE Office of Science budget for FY 2008 is proposed at $4,398M up from FY 2007 estimate of $3.605 M. The FY 2008 budget for ITER is $160 M up from $60 M proposed for FY 2007. February 5, 2007.
  • Details of the President's FY 2008 budget for DOE
  • Office of Science FY 2008 budget Overview Vgs
  • Office of Science FY 2008 budget Summary
  • Office of Fusion Energy Science FY 2008 budget Overview Vgs
  • Office of Fusion Energy Sciences FY 2008 Budget detailed description and justification.

  	FY 2007($M) Estimate	FY2008 ($M) Request	Increase ($M)	Increase (%)
  Workforce Development	7	11	4	57.1
  Advanced Computing	236	340	104	44.1
  Basic Energy Sciences	1,199	1499	300	25
  Nuclear Physics	397	471	74	18.6
  Fusion Energy Science	306	428	122	39.9
  High Energy Physics	733	782	49	6.7
  Biology and Environment	473	532	59	12.5
  Science Lab Infrastructure	43	79	36	83.7
  Security and Safeguards	68	71	3	6.9
  Program Direction	164	186	22	13.4
  Office of Science	3,626	4,398	772	21.3

• IPCC 2007 Report Blames Humans for Climate Change -BBC News - Global climate change is "very likely" to have a human cause, an influential group of scientists has concluded. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (Summary Report) said temperatures were probably going to increase by 1.8-4C (3.2-7.2F) by the end of the century. It also projected that sea levels were most likely to rise by 28-43cm, and global warming was likely to influence the intensity of tropical storms. February 2, 2007
• US Science Research severely impacted by FY2007 Appropriations Continuing Resolution
  • House Votes to Increase FY 2007 DOE Science, NSF, NIST Funding February 1, 2007
  • DOE Outlines "Critical Impacts" of Flat Funding on Science and Other Programs AIP January 18, 2007
  • Biggert, Taucher and Holt lead the effort in Congress to restore DOE Office of Science Funding January 18, 2007
  • Congressional Budget Delay Stymies Scientific Research W. Broad, NY Times January 10, 2007
• ITER Organization gets the go-ahead - Nov 21, 2006 Today, Ministers from the seven Parties of the international nuclear fusion project ITER (China, European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States of America) came together to sign the agreement to establish the international Organization that will implement the ITER fusion energy project. The signature took place at a ceremony at the Elysée Palace in Paris and was hosted by the President of the French Republic M. Jacques Chirac and by the President of the European Commission, M. José Manuel Durão Barroso. The signed documents were formally handed over to the representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to be deposited with the Director General of the IAEA.The first meeting of the Interim ITER Council takes place at Ministerial level after the signing ceremony, under the chairmanship of Janez Potonik, European Commissioner for Science and Research. This constitutes the first act of the newly established ITER Organization. With the signature of the ITER Agreement and the first Council meeting, the ITER Organization can start its operation on a provisional basis pending the entry into force of the agreement which is expected in the course of 2007. (ITER Project Fact Sheet)
  • U.S. Signs International Fusion Energy Agreement - DOE Press Release
  • United States Signs International Fusion Energy Agreement - US State Department Nov 25
  • Remarks on behalf of the French Government - Mr Jacques Chirac President of the French Republic Nov 25
  • Remarks on Behalf of the US Government - Dr Raymond Orbach, DOE Under Secretary for Science
  • Remaks on Behalf of the European Commission - Janez Potoãnik, European Commissioner for Science and Research Nov 25
  • Remaks on Behalf of the Chinese Government - Prof. Xu Guanhua, Minister of Science and Technology of China Nov 25
  • Remaks on Behalf of the Japanese Government - Mr. Iwaya, the Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Nov 25
  • ITER Pact Signed in Paris -TASS
  • FRANCE,Six Nations Sign Accord on $12.9 Billion ITER Project - Bloomberg
  • ITER Pact Signed - Reuters
  • States Sign Nuclear Energy Pact - BBC News
  • Q&A: Nuclear Fusion Reactor -- BBC News
  • Our Emperors have no Clothes - Nature Nov 30
  • A White-Hot Elephant - Economist Nov 23 Nov 25
  • ITER Fusion Reactor gets Final Approval - PhysWeb
• ITER Agreement to be signed in Paris on November 21st - On the 21st of November, Ministers from the seven Parties of the international nuclear fusion project ITER (China, European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States of America) will come together to sign the agreement to establish the international Organization that will implement the ITER fusion energy project. The signature will take place at a ceremony at the Elysée Palace in Paris, hosted by the President of the French Republic M. Jacques Chirac and by the President of the European Commission, M. José Manuel Durão Barroso. After the signature ceremony, the first meeting of the Interim ITER Council will take place. (ITER News) November 20, 2006
• Nuclear fusion: A necessary investment - Kaname Ikeda, ITER Director General Nominee November 17, 2006
• 1st ITER PROJECT VENDOR INFORMATION FORUM will be held November 15, 2006 at Museum in Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Tennessee November 9, 2006
• 48th Annual meeting of the APS-DPP being held in Philadelphia Oct 30 - Nov 3. November 2, 2006
  • American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) Town Meeting
    • OSTP Perspective on ACI - Diane Jones, OSTP
    • Rising Above the Gathering Storm - Richard Bissell, NRC
  • Nuclear Fission and Fusion Power Miniconference
    • Nuclear Energy Present and Future - I. Hutchinson
    • Nuclear Energy's Renaissance - A. Kadak
    • Historic Growth and Atrophy of Nuclear Fission, Lessons for Fusion - M. Haynes
    • Key Technological Challenges for Fission Reactors, and what it means for Fusion - D. Petti
    • Prospects for Attractive Fusion Power - F. Najmabadi
    • The Fusion Hybrid - W. Manheimer
    • Fusion Energy - How to realize it Sooner with less Risk - J. Sethian
    • Role of Advanced Fuels and Innovative Concepts - J. Santarius
  • Town Meeting on ITER Progress
    • Status of ITER - N. Holtkamp
    • US ITER Project, Providing a Facility for Burning Plasma Research - N. Sauthoff
    • US Burning Plasma Organization Development - R. Fonck
  • University Fusion Association Annual Meeting
    • UFA Activities - G. Navratil
    • OFES Program - S. Eckstrand
    • US Burning Plasma Organization Development - R. Fonck
• Climate change fight 'can't wait' (BBC) The world cannot afford to wait before tackling climate change, the UK prime minister has warned October 31, 2006
  • Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change -A report by economist Sir Nicholas Stern suggests that global warming could shrink the global economy by 20%.
• 21st Fusion Energy Meeting in Chengdu China Highlights Fusion Progress and Preparation for ITER October 22, 2006
• EAST has successfully achieved the first plasma discharge - Hefei , China - After successful engineering commissioning in March 2006, EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) has achieved first plasma with plasma current up to 220 kA. This has demonstrated that EAST construction has been completed successfully. EAST is the first tokamak in operation with all superconducting coils at mega-ampere scale. It will be a unique facility to explore some critical issues relating to steady-state operation with shaped plasma cross-section in the next few years. September 29, 2006
• European Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry and Research) Council will meet on September 25, 2006 in Brussells to: discuss and attain political agreement on 7th Framework programme, EC (2007-2013), 7th Framework programme, EURATOM (2007-2011) and attain possible political agreement on rules of participation for 7th Framework programme (EC and Euratom) , and possibly decide on the creation of a European legal entity for ITER and Conclusion of an international agreement on implementation of ITER.
  • Council approves conclusion of the ITER international agreement for fusion energy September 25, 2006
  • EU to build experimental fusion reactor September 25, 2006
• Plans for ITER and Supporting Activities presented at the 24th Symposium on Fusion Technology (SOFT), Warsaw, Poland Sept 11-15 September 14, 2006
  • Status of ITER - N. Holtkamp - (Agreement signing Nov 21, Design Review on Dec 12-15, site prep, organization formation, funding profiles)
  • System engineering and configuration control management in ITER  - P. Barabaschi September 24, 2006
  • EU-JA Broader Approach - S. Matsuda- (funding agreement, IFMIF, JT-60SA)
  • EAST Project Status - S. Wu
  • JT-60SA towards ITER and DEMO relevant plasmas - H. Tamai
  • Review of Nb3Sn conductors for ITER - D. Ciazynski September 18, 2006
  • Status of Wendelstein 7-X Construction F. Schauer September 24, 2006
  • Engineering Challenges in Designing an Attractive Compact Stellarator Power Plant - R. Raffray September 18, 2006
  • Development, simulation and testing of structural materials for DEMO - R. Laesser September 18, 2006
  • Tungsten as First Wall Material in Fusion Devices - M. Kaufmann September 18, 2006
  • The Contribution of Fusion to Sustainable Development - D. Ward September 18, 2006
  • Technology and Plasma Physics Developments needed for DEMO - K. Lackner September 18, 2006
• US ITER Management team has been named (OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 17, 2006) - A team of scientists and engineers has been chosen to manage the United States' role in a multinational project to harness the power of fusion. The US ITER Project plans will be reviewed by DOE September 24-28. The overall ITER project will have a design status/review meeting in mid November. It is anticipated that the ITER parties will sign the ITER Implementing Agreement on November 21, 2006. August 17, 2006
• Reexaming Fusion Power - Three letters to the Editor of Science Magazine and two letters submitted to Science but not published. Posted July 22, 2006
  • Present fusion reactor designs have addressed issues raised by critics according to Professors F. Najmabadi and C. Baker. Submitted March 15, 2006
  • Science critique of fusion not based on most recent fusion power plant designs, says Fusion Power Associates President. Submitted March 15, 2006
  • Fusion Power: Will It Ever Come? -Science - The practicality of fusion power engineering is challenged posthumously by W. Parkins in a replay of the 1996-1997 debates on fusion and ITER. see March 9, 2006
• ITER Deputy Directors Nominated at ITER Preparatory Committee (IPC) meeting at Cadarache on July 13. The IPC approved the proposal from the ITER Director General nominee Ikeda for nominees to fill ITER Deputy Director positions. The nominees for ITER Deputy Directors (Photos) are: Carlos ALEJANDRE (DDG for Safety and Security ) EU/Spain, Valery Alekseevich CHUYANOV (DDG for Fusion Science and Technology) RF, WANG Shaoqi (DDG for Administration) CN, Gary Johnson (DDG for Tokamak) US,Yong Hwan KIM (DDG for Central Engineering and Plant Support) KO and Dhiraj BORA (DDG for CODAC, Heating & Current Drive System and Diagnostics) IN. and (Press Release and Resume)The next major milestone is to authorize the project when the parties "sign" the ITER Implementing Agreement in the November 2006 time frame. July 13, 2006
• EU's 7th framework Budget has been settled and the EU fusion program budget (2007-2013) is 1.947 BEuro. This framework fusion budget is about twice the previous framework's budget. Roughly 50% of the community budget is for ITER construction; This budget will cover both ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy and Broader Approach (JT-60SA, IFMIF-EVEDA, IFERC). The overall program is called "European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy". July 6, 2006
• FY 2007 Budget for fusion passed by Senate Appropriations Committee -Press release with emphasis on NNSA "For Fusion Energy Sciences, the Committee recommends $307,001,000. This program advances plasma science, fusion science, and fusion technology through collaborations among U.S. universities, industry and national research laboratories, and the international fusion community. Consistent with Budget descriptions, the Committee has shifted $11,949,000 provided for High Energy Density Science to the new office within the Department of Energy." July 1, 2006
• The European Parliament adopts second report on the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for nuclear research and training activities (2007-2011) with 457:97:22 votes). The overall budget of this programme will be ¤2751 million, compared to the original Commissions proposal of ¤3,092 million. Euratom indirect actions are managed by the Commission's Directorate-General for Research (DG RTD). The specific programmes allocates EUR 1,947 million to research into fusion energy and EUR 287 million for nuclear fission and radiation protection. EUR 517 million are reserved for nuclear activities of the JRC. July 1, 2006
• ITER Director General Nominee Describes Plans for ITER at European Physics Conference June 22, 2006
• US White House Report on 2006 U.S.-EU Summit - Joint cooperation on energy security has started with the aim of improving reliability of energy supplies by increasing diversification, making better use of renewable energy sources, using energy more efficiently and cooperating to encourage improved energy security policies in third countries. The U.S. and EU have held four joint workshops on energy technologies, efficiency and alternative fuels. An agreement on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor was initialed in May 2006 and will be signed at the Fall ITER Ministerial meeting. June 22, 2006
• ITER pioneers receive prestigious Russian energy prize On the 13 June in Saint Petersburg, three pioneers of the international fusion project ITER received the Russian prize Global Energy from Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. The laureates ‚ Russian academician Evgeniy Velikhov, Japanese Dr. Masaji Yoshikawa and French Dr. Robert Aymar, received the award for their contributions to the development of the scientific and technological foundation of the ITER project. June 13, 2006
• European Commission presents Final report on ITER negotiations for Council decision June 10, 2006
• US Physicists Persevere In Quest For Inexhaustible Energy Source The largest fusion-energy experiment ever conducted, ITER is the culmination of years of research by scores of scientists, and is poised to answer long-standing questions about the real-world viability of fusion energy. Science Daily May 31, 2006
• ITER Parties Initial Joint Implementing Agreement. With this major milestone passed, each of the Parties will submit the Agreement and related documents to their respective authorities in order to secure the authorisation to sign the Agreement. A process the Parties' representatives said they hoped "will be completed by the end of 2006 so that actual construction can start in 2007." May 24, 2006
  • Europa Press Release and Participants - Photo
  • Remarks on Behalf of the US Government - Dr. Ray Orbach, Director Office of Science
  • Agreement Moves ITER Forward - Physics Today July 2006
    • CERN chief rethinks LHC fees -The introduction of a fee to use the LHC is viewed in the US as breaking a deal and opening the floodgates to an unwelcome new paradigm for accessing scientific facilities. (Webmaster note: this is a core issue for the US Congress and could undermine the ITER agreement) Physics Today July 2006
  • Fusion reactor work gets go-ahead - BBC News
  • Nations Agree to Build Fusion Reactor - Washington, Post, AP
  • Seven Nation Group to Pursue Fusion Energy Research Voice of America
  • United States and International Partners Initial ITER Agreement Paves the Way for Large-Scale, Clean Fusion Energy Project, US DOE
  • World's most expensive science experiment - ABC News
  • EU signs ITER deal - Greens Protest- EU Politix
  • ITER -Frequently Asked Questions - Europa
  • EU, U.S., Russia, Asian States Sign Nuclear-Fusion Reactor Pact - Bloomberg News
• Chaos could keep fusion under control A leaky magnetic bottle may prove key to making a reactor. Geoff Brumfiel Nature. May 22, 2006
  • Fusion reactor shows its metal, AFP, ABC Science Online
  • Nuclear fusion plasma problem tackled - Kurt Kleiner , New Scientist
  • Edge stability and transport control with resonant magnetic perturbations in collisionless tokamak plasmas. T. Evans et al, Nature
• Critics pounce on bubble-fusion blunder Nature May 17, 2006
• The new Chinese tokamak, EAST, world's first all superconducting tokamak completes engineering tests. Plasma tests to begin this summer. China is breaking new ground with a fusion test bed that will tide researchers over until the ITER megaproject comes online. Science May 19, 2006
• ITER Implementing Agreement to be Initialed by Ministers of the seven ITER Parties on May 24, 2006 in the European Commission's Berlaymont building in Brussels. May 18, 2006
• FY 2007 Budget for fusion passed by House Appropriations Committee - The Committee provided the full amount requested for the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, including full funding for the first year of ITER construction, and provided substantial funds above the President's request for inertial confinement fusion. May 18, 2006
• The 8th Meeting of the ITER Preparatory Committee took place 26/27th April in Goa, with India hosting and chairing for the first time. The meeting addressed how to prepare for the practical implementation of the ITER Joint Implementation Agreement, to be initialed by the Parties' Government representatives on May 24th in Brussels. Posted May 4, 2006
• Iranian Claims to be Building Thermonuclear Reactor are Untrue According to Russian Expert - Izvestia 10 April 2004 April 14, 2006
• ITER Principal Deputy Director General Nominee Named - The representatives for the parties participating in ITER accepted the EU's proposal to designate Dr Norbert Holtkamp as nominee Principal Deputy Director-General of the prospective ITER Organization. Dr Holtkamp is currently director of the Accelerator Systems Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee (USA). With the appointment of Kaname Ikeda as nominee Director-General in November 2005, the top management team of the prospective ITER Organization is now complete. Common message from the 6th Preparatory meeting for ITER decision making. April 1, 2006
• Physics World highlights EU Progress on Preparations for ITER incuding interview with incoming Director General Ikeda and JET plans to address ITER R&D issues.March 16, 2006
• EU Commission issues Green Paper on Energy -A European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy. Energy ministers begin debate on EU Energy policy.March 15, 2006
• Fusion Power: Will It Ever Come? -Science - The practicality of fusion power engineering is challenged posthumously by W. Parkins in a replay of the 1996-1997 debates on fusion and ITER. March 9, 2006
  • The Fusion Hybrid as a Response the Paper by Parkins - W Manheimer Feb 9, 2007
  • Science critique of fusion not based on most recent fusion power plant designs, says Fusion Power Associates President March 15, 2006
  • Fusion Power gets slammed - Nature -Fusion reactors are an expensive dream that will never provide economical energy. But supporters say arguments about reactor costs are old hat. March 10, 2006
  • No Future for Fusion Power, says top scientist - New Scientist - Advocates of the technology insist it is too soon to give up, and that great progress has been made. March 10, 2006
  • Technical Response to Criticisms of Magnetic Fusion W. Stacey, Professor of Nuclear Egnieering, Georgia Institue of Technology
• Office of Science submits Five Year Plan to Congress March 6, 2006
  • Office of Science Overall Plan Fusion increases from $319M in FY2007 to $427M in FY2008, and $494M in Fy2009.
  • Office of Fusion Energy Breakout
• European Parliament and Council Clash again over EU Budget - Although a budget deal was made by the Heads of State and Government at the December European Council, the agreement was rejected by the Parliament. 'The Council cuts mean a reduction of 50 per cent, compared to what Parliament proposed.Failure to agree on a budget for the EU as a whole has implications for programmes such as the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for research (FP7), which will not be implemented on time if the budget cannot been set. March 2, 2006
• US Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) is meeting to review US preparations for participation in ITER. March 1, 2006
• New Chinese All Superconducting Coil Experiment plans first plasma for July 2006 - China has provided the project, dubbed the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), with an investment of 165 million yuan (about 20 million U.S. dollars). March 1, 2006
• US ITER Project Office (USIPO) invites individuals and institutions to nominate US candidates for ITER Deputy Director General (DDG) and other positions on the International Team and on the USIPO Team. Additional information is on the US IPO web page. February 27, 2006
• Japan to Reward South Korea with Construction contracts for ITER Support (AFP) -The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper reported that Japan has decided to give 20 percent, or about 11 billion yen (93 million dollars), worth of its ITER construction orders to the South Koreans. February 27, 2006
• Accelerator Delay Stuns U.S. Scientists - The Rare Isoptope Accelerator (RIA) ranked third in the DOE Scientific Facilities priority list will be delayed 5 years. Science February 24, 2006
• US Fusion Community carries message to Congress during Fusion Day February 16, 2006 - "We strongly support the decision by the President and the Secretary of Energy to proceed with ITER in collaboration with international partners as the critical next-step towards the development of fusion energy.." The University Fusion Association comprised of 33 Universities warned "However, the Administration's proposed budget for FY2007 would make broad cuts in university research programs seriously damaging U.S. capabilities to benefit from ITER."
  • Fusion Power Associates Notice FPN06-16 February 17, 2006
  • University Fusion Association Position Paper February 17, 2006
  • Large Fusion Program Directors Position Paper February 17, 2006
• European Commission Discusses Implementation of the European Legal Entity for ITER -S. Chatzipanagiotou EU Commission
  • European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy February 15, 2006
  • Personnel needs for ITER and the European Joint Undertaking for ITER February 15, 2006
• DOE Budget for FY 2007 has been released (full budget) February 6, 2006
  • OSTP FY 2007 Budget Presentation - John Marburger February 8, 2006
  • Fusion Energy Sciences FY 2007 Budget Detail
  • Fusion Sciences FY 2007 Budget Presentation - Anne Davies
  • Office of Science FY 2007 Budget Presentation - Ray Orbach
  • Office of Science FY 2007 Budget Detail (includes Magnetic Fusion)
  • Nuclear Power Initiative (follow links for more detail)
  • Nuclear Energy FY 2007 Budget Detail
  • NNSA Weapons Activities FY 2007 Budget (includes Inertial Fusion and NIF)
  • DOE Budget Highlights February 8, 2006
  • Summary of the DOE FY 2007 Budget including the Office of Science
• Details of the President's FY 2007 Budget Request to be revealed today. The Office of Science is proposed for a 14% increase to support the President's American Competitiveness Initiative. February 6, 2006
  

  	FY 2006 ($M) Actual	FY2007 ($M) Request	Increase ($M)	Increase (%)
  Workforce Development	7.2	11.0	3.8	52.8
  Advanced Computing	234.7	318.7	84	35.7
  Basic Energy Sciences	1134.6	1421	286.4	25.2
  Nuclear Physics	367	454.1	87	23.7
  Fusion Energy Science	287.6	319	31.3	10.9
  High Energy Physics	716.7	775.1	58.4	8.1
  Biology and Environment	579.8	510.3	-69.6	-12
  Science Lab Infrastructure	41.7	50.9	9.2	22
  Security and Safeguards	73.6	76.6	3	4
  Program Direction	159.1	170.9	11.8	7.4
  Office of Science	3596	4101	505.3	14.1

• Nuclear Fusion Construction Deal Expected at Russia's G8 Summit MOSCOW, Russia, February 3, 3006 (ENS) - An international agreement on the construction of the ITER international experimental nuclear fusion reactor is expected to be signed during a G8 summit in St. Petersburg in July 2006, said Yevgeny Velikhov, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and president of the Kurchatov Institute research center. February 3, 2006
• U.S. Department of Energy Requests $4.1 Billion Investment As Part of the American Competitiveness Initiative - Fusion budget would be increased by $31 M. A key portion of fusion budget has been allocated to participation in the second year of the ITER project ($60.0 million total), an international fusion experimental reactor. The funding increase supports full participation in ITER, and the balance of the Fusion program is maintained at near FY 2006 levels. February 2, 2006
• U.S. ITER Project Office to moved be from PPPL to ORNL to optimize the roles of the Laboratories. Ned Sauthoff of PPPL is continuing as the US ITER Project Manager, and PPPL will continue to play a major role in the partnership. February 1, 2006
• UK Secretary of State and the Minister for Energy launched the consultation document "Our Energy Challenge: securing clean, affordable energy for the long term" to stimulate a wide-ranging and informed debate on energy policy issues. January 27, 2006
• Time to get Serious about Biofuels - S. Koonin, Chief Scientist for British Petroleum, Ethanol More Energy Efficient Than Previously Thought - A new study reported in Science shows that corn ethanol is a more energy efficient fuel than previously believed, reducing petroleum use by 95 percent per gallon. January 27, 2006
• Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) a new fusion device will start operation in July or August 2006 at the Academia Scinica Institute for Plasma Physics (ASIPP) in Hefei, China. If the experiments prove successful, China will become the first country in the world to build a fully superconducting coil experimental Tokamak fusion device, nicknamed "artificial sun", experts in China said. January 21, 2006
• Fusion Budget for FY 2007 to be revealed on February 6 in President's FY 2007 budget request. U. S. Fusion community to visit Congress on February 16. Posted January 20, 2006
• Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee reconstituted under new conflict of interest rules will meet Feb 28-Mar 1, 2006 January 20, 2006
• CA Discovers Power of Sun (AP) California could become a world leader in solar power over the next decade under a landmark incentive program approved by the state's energy regulators. The California Solar Initiative aims to install solar panels on the rooftops of one (m) million homes, businesses and public buildings over the next ten years. The panels would produce three-thousand megawatts of solar electricity. The program will provide nearly three billion dollars in consumer rebates for installation of solar panels between 2007 and 2016. The five-member Public Utility Commission already has approved 300 million dollars in rebates for 2006. The initiative must still be approved by the State Legislature. January 14, 2006
• European Commission calls for expressions of interest for position of ITER Principal Deputy Director Deadline January 20,2006. Additional positions are available. January 9, 2006
• ITER - Opportunities for European Industry -presentations from Workshop 13-14 December 2005
• France Announces Construction of Gen IV Reactor: (AFP)- President Jacques Chirac announced plans to build a prototype fourth-generation nuclear reactor by 2020 as well as symbolic targets for cutting France's reliance on oil in the coming decades. In the field of nuclear energy, Chirac stressed that France was a key partner in ITER, an international experimental fusion reactor to be based in southern France, as well as in developing a third-generation EPR reactor. "What is at stake (through the ITER project) is the ability to harness the energy of the sun by the end of the century," Chirac said. January 8, 2006
• Evolution in Action : Breakthrough of the Year according to Science. The choice of France as the site for ITER was the 10th runnerup. December 23, 2005
• "ITER - Opportunities for European Industry" - Over six hundred representatives from European industry and fusion research institutes gathered in Barcelona on 13/14 December, for a two-day workshop named "ITER &endash; Opportunities for European Industry". The goal of the workshop is to inform European companies about the international ITER Fusion Energy Project, and to discuss opportunities for their involvement in its construction. December 14, 2005
• Workshop on Burning Plasmas held December 7-9 by US Burning Plasma Organization was attended by over 150 US fusion researchers . The workshop discussed: progress since Snowmass 2002, issues related to burning plasmas and possible tasks for the future related to ITER and beyond. Presentations can be downloaded from the Workshop link. December 12, 2005
• India was welcomed by the other partners as a full partner in the ITER project during the 12th ITER negotiating meeting held today in Korea. Agreement was reached by the Delegations on all remaining issues such as decision making, intellectual property and management within the prospective ITER Organisation, and adjustments to the sharing of resources as a result of India's participation, including in particular cost sharing and in-kind contributions. December 6, 2005
• ITER Negotiations Continuing - A Preparatory Committee meeting will take place on 5th and 8th December to officially recognise the Director-General Nominee, and to consider the Transitional Project Team preparations. December 6, 2005
• EU OKs India joining ITER nuclear reactor project -BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union agreed on Friday to include India in a 10-billion-euro project to build an experimental nuclear fusion reactor that in the long-run could provide virtually unlimited, cheap and clean energy. The EU's willingness to work with India on a civil nuclear project comes months after the United States said it would support India's nuclear power development despite its refusal to sign a global treaty barring the spread of atomic weapons. Critics of the project, which began life in 1985 as a showpiece of Cold War diplomacy between the United States and the Soviet Union, say it is too expensive, unrealistic, with too long a wait for results. December 2, 2005
• South Korea to Host Talks for Int'l Nuclear Fusion Project - SEOUL, Nov 30 Asia Pulse - South Korea is to play host to negotiations this week for a six-nation project to build an experimental nuclear fusion reactor in France by 2015, the Ministry of Science and Technology said Wednesday. The six members -- South Korea, the United States, Japan, European Union, China and Russia -- will take part in the talks from Thursday until Dec. 8 on South Korea's southern island province of Jeju.From Dec. 6, participants will hold high-ranking meetings to discuss a variety of issues, including India's petition to participate in the consortium. They are also to approve the appointment of Kaname Ikeda, Japan's ambassador to Croatia, as the director general of ITER during a preparation committee on Dec. 5-8. The goal has been for the six partners to sign a Draft Implementing Agreement by December 31, 2005. November 30, 2005
• 20 Years ago at US -Soviet Summit Meeting in Geneva First Discussion that led to ITER (November 21, 1985), From the Joint Statement of President Reagan and Soviet Union General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev - "Fusion Research - The two leaders emphasized the potential importance of the work aimed at utilizing controlled thermonuclear fusion for peaceful purposes and, in this connection, advocated the widest practicable development of international cooperation in obtaining this source of energy, which is essentially inexhaustible, for the benefit for all mankind." November 21, 2005
• ITER Project to Solve Global Energy Problems- Moscow (Novosti) -ITER is the most ambitious undertaking in the history of mankind, dwarfing the International Space Station (ISS) in terms of its intellectual and financial resources.If successful, ITER would provide mankind with an unlimited source of energy. A thermonuclear power plant may appear by 2030, requiring tremendous amounts of energy. "Those involved in the ITER project understand that thermonuclear fusion will become a powerful and reliable source of energy," Velikhov full-time member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, president of the well-known Kurchatov R&D Institute and head of the Institute's ITER Council, said. November 15, 2005
• Congressman Boehlert Promises to Kill ITER Project if Funding Agreement is not Reached - WASHINGTON, DC, November 9, 2005 - House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) made the following statement today during debate over the Energy and Water appropriations: ...I want to make clear to everyone concerned that I will do everything in my power to kill the ITER project if there is not an agreement by March that the domestic fusion program has to be scaled back to pay for ITER.  "I am not going to allow the U.S. to enter into an international commitment that it cannot afford.  I would rather kill the ITER project.  "The fusion community will have to be realistic.  It cannot have all its current projects and ITER.  And it will not.......November 11, 2005
• Fusion Budget for FY 2006 Approved by House-Senate Conference Committee-The conferees provide $290,550,000 for fusion energy sciences, the same as the budget request. The conferees direct the Department to utilize $29,900,000 of funding proposed for ITER work in fiscal year 2006 to restore U.S.-based fusion funding to fiscal year 2005 levels as follows: $7,300,000 for high performance materials for fusion; $8,700,000 to restore operation of the three major user facilities to fiscal year 2005 operating levels; $7,200,000 for intense heavy ion beams and fast ignition studies; $5,100,000 for compact stellarators and small-scale experiments; and $1,600,000 for theory. As in previous years, the conferees direct the Department to fund the U.S. share of ITER in fiscal year 2007 through additional resources rather than through reductions to domestic fusion research or to other Office of Science programs. Within available funds, the conferees include $1,000,000 for non-defense research activities at the Atlas Pulse Power facility. In addition, the conferees direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to undertake a study of the Office of Science Fusion Energy Sciences program in order to define the role of the major domestic facilities in support of the ITER, including recommendations on the possible consolidation or focus of operations to maximize their research value in support of ITER. The GAO shall also evaluate the opportunities to leverage the National Nuclear Security Administration investment as an alternative to the tokamak concept. This Energy and Water Appropriations bill is expected to be passed by the Senate and House later this week, and signed by the President next week. Senate Press Release. and House Press Release November 7, 2005
• Fusion Leaders Make an Diplomatic Choice (Science - November 11,2005) Meeting in Vienna this week, representatives of the six international partners in the project&emdash;China, the European Union (E.U.), Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United States&emdash;tapped Kaname Ikeda to lead the $12 billion fusion project, which aims to build a reactor to recreate the sun's power source.However, delegates in Vienna failed to agree on the inclusion of India as a partner in the project. India had asked to join in July, but sources say that some ITER partners do not want India to have a prominent role because of its failure to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Posted November 15, 2005
• Japanese Ambassador to Croatia named head of ITER organization - (Kyodo) -Kaname Ikeda, a former Science and Technology Agency official, was tapped Monday to be the chief of an international project to build a nuclear fusion reactor in France, science ministry officials said. The decision on the appointment of Ikeda, 59, currently Japanese Ambassador to Croatia, was made at a meeting in Vienna of deputy ministerial officials from the European Union and five participating countries - Japan, China, Russia, South Korea and the United States, according to the officials. November 7, 2005
• Common Message from the 5th Preparatory Meeting for ITER Decision Making (IAEA Vienna, 7th November 2005) - High level negotiators from China, European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States met at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna on 7th November 2005 to advance the ITER negotiations. This was the first such meeting since the successful resolution of the siting issue for ITER at the Meeting of Ministers in Moscow on 28th June 2005. Kaname Ikeda, a former Science and Technology Agency was named Director General of the ITER construction project. November 7, 2005
• 11th ITER Negotiations Meeting was held in Chengdu, China, 24October 2005 - November 3, 2005
  • November 2005 - High level "P" Meeting, Director General to be selected
  • 6December, 2005 - 12th ITER negotiations Meeting to finalize drafts of the ITER Implementing Agreement will be held in Korea.
  • Spring 2006 - Ministerial Meeting to "initial" Implementing Agreement
  • Jun-Jul 2006 - Agreement Formal Signature (Ratification of financial obligations)
  • End 2006 - Agreement enters into force
• Japan eyes Ikeda as candidate to head ITER organization (Kyodo) - Japan will recommend Kaname Ikeda, a former high level administrator with extensive science and technology expertise, as the candidate to head the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project organization, the Science Ministry said Tuesday. October 18, 2005
• Fusion Power Associates Annual Meeting will be held October 11-12, 2005 in Washington DC. Updated October 18, 2005
• FESAC Panel formed to assess progress of the US Fusion Program toward long term performance goals. October 9, 2005
• Chief of Majority Staff for House Science Committee Offers Views on ITER - David Goldston, Chief of Majority Staff for the House Science Committee, said "The U.S. should not commit to ITER funding without a clear strategy as to how to pay for it, he said, adding, "I don't see some big bump-in in Office of Science funding." Goldston later said, "I will do all I can to prevent the U.S. from entering into an agreement if no one is willing to make the sacrifices necessary to pay for it." Posted October 2, 2005
• Symposium on Fusion Energy - Reports of recent progress on magnetic and inertial fusion research. September 29, 2005
• Japanese set to direct 'sun-power' nuclear reactor in France -AFP - Almost three months after the ITER site was selected, Japan has been asked to nominate the chief of an international project to build a multi-billion-dollar nuclear fusion reactor in southern France, the project's six partners said in a statement. September 17, 2005
• An ITER negotiators working group meeting (NSSG-10 ) was held September 6-10 in Cadarache, France, to address the process for selecting a Director General and the development of arrangements for the ITER Joint Implementing Agreement. September 15, 2005
• Several Agreements were signed during the Sixth India-EU Business summit - The two sides decided to strenghten cooperation in the energy sector to develop more efficient, cleaner and alternative energy chains and work to secure India's membership in the ITER nuclear fusion project. September 7, 2005 (Separate item - With Nine Fission Power Reactors Under Construction India Targets 20,000 Megawatts of Nuclear Power by 2020. The nuclear power plans are part of a goal to add 150,000 MW of power to the nation's generating capacity in the next ten years.)
• Nuclear Energy for a New Europe 2005 - EUROPA - European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potocnik has called for greater investments in new energy technologies in light of the soaring oil prices that are set to affect the competitiveness of the economy and society as a whole. September 6, 2005
• European physicists propose 735 million euro alternative to ITER - Cordis News -The provisionally titled HiPER facility would be based on 'fast ignition' laser fusion technology, in which two separate lasers are used to compress and heat a small capsule of deuterium and tritium until the nuclei are hot enough to undergo nuclear fusion, producing helium and neutrons. September 5, 2005
• Europe plans $800M Fast Ignition laser-fusion facility - Laser physicists in Europe have put forward plans to build a £500m facility to study a new approach to laser fusion. A panel of scientists from seven European Union countries believes that a "fast ignition" laser facility could make a significant contribution to fusion research, as well as supporting experiments in other areas of physics. The facility could be up and running by the middle of the next decade. September 2, 2005
• Japanese Ministry eyes 3 ITER-related facilities for Aomori Prefecture (Asahi Shimbun) The science and technology ministry specified three facilities it wants to operate in Amori Prefecture as a reward for abandoning its bid to host the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), ministry sources said. September 2, 2005
• India's quest to join the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project is gathering pace with the ITER Preparatory Committee expected to formally look into the keen interest shown by New Delhi when it meets on September 13. India may also be allowed to participate in some of the technical meetings. August 31, 2005
• Observation of neutronless fusion reactions in picosecond laser plasmas The yield of particles in neutronless fusion reactions 11B+p in plasmas produced by picosecond laser pulses with the peak intensity of 2 10^18 W/cm2 has been observed. VS Belyaev, Phys Rev E 72, 026406(2005) August 26, 2005
• Conditions for Aneutronic Fusion : Possible reactions, required temperatures and fuel density and energy confinement. August 27, 2005
• Lasers trigger cleaner fusion Neutron-free reaction (p+11B) makes less radioactive waste. Nature August 26, 2005
• Quest for nuclear fusion in the forest International Herald Tribune Cadarache prepares for ITER August 26, 2005
• US ITER Project Office solicits Expressions of Interest. Individuals interested in participating in the US ITER project activities are invited to fill out a questionnaire. This is a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) announcement, not a solicitation. After consideration of response information, the USIPO will issue solicitations for management positions within the USIPO and possibly close R&D and Design support. Posted August 23, 2005
• President signs Energy Policy Act August 8, 2005, American Institute of Physics FYI President Bus Signs Energy Policy Legislation
• U.S. to restructure the domestic fusion program around ITER (Physics Today) August 1, 2005
• Energy Policy Act of 2005 passed overwhelmingly by Congress, President expected to sign next week. In FY 2007 a funding level of $355M would be authorized for the fusion program. In addition to this amount, such sums as may be necessary for ITER construction, consistent with the limitations of section 972(c)(5) are authorized. The fusion section of the bill calls for DOE to submit a plan to Congress in 180 days for the implementation of the fusion policy in this bill. Updated July 30, 2005
• Solar fusion - Is It Time to Shoot for the Sun? (Science) - Officials at the U.S. Department of Energy are working to kindle support for a crash program to transform solar energy from a bit player into the world's leading power source. July 21, 2005
• Fusion Energy: Just around the corner (Nature )For 50 years, physicists have been promising that power from nuclear fusion is imminent. Now they are poised to build an experiment that could vindicate their views. But will the machine work? July 20, 2005
• All together now (Nature Editorial) The decision to site the fusion experiment ITER in France left relatively little bad blood between the international partners, who must now rally behind the project. July 20, 2005
• The European Commission published its "Key Figures 2005 on science, technology and innovation" on 19 July, revealing stagnation in research and development (R&D) investment in the EU. "While in principal there is near universal support from ministers and Member States for establishing a European Research Council, introducing a space and security research programme, constructing ITER, and strengthening the 'cooperation' strand of the framework programme, so far there has been a distinct lack of support in budgetary terms" said Commissioner Janez Potocnik. July 20, 2005
• The nuclear deal with India - By assuming the same responsibilities and practices as leading countries with nuclear technologies 'such as the United States', in the expectation of receiving the same benefits and advantages, India has joined the big league. July 20, 2005
• We need a strong program in fusion research. Some have advocated cutting the domestic U.S. fusion program and using the funds for ITER instead. This would truly reduce the United States to a bit player in fusion energy. Congressman Rush Holt. Posted July 20
• French Group CALLS for NON with ITER and YES with energy saving, renewable energies, and the democratic choice of the citizens. Posted July 20
• Doubts Rise Over the Great Nuclear Promise PARIS, Jul 12 (IPS) - The euphoria over a decision to base the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France seems to be evaporating. What remains is a growing doubt over the feasibility and cost of the project. Posted July 20
• Much noise for nothing (Le Express) The installation in Cadarache of the reactor with nuclear fusion would be a bad news for our research. Posted July 20
• ITER and Nuclear Fusion Projects - Yardsticks for New Energy Technologies (Industrial information) July 20, 2005
• Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) will review a Report from a Panel charged to examine the capabilities of the three major US magnetic fusion facilities at a meeting of FESAC July 19 at Gaithersburg, MD. Ray Orbach, Director of the Office of Science presented his perspective on the US Fusion Program and called for the US domestic fusion program to make sacrifices for ITER. Updated July 21, 2005
• International Fusion Research (MIT Technology Review) - The announcement in the last week that the site for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is finally resolved is a source of relief and anticipation to nuclear fusion researchers worldwide. July 8, 2005
• Blair Says G-8 Leaders Need to Move Past Kyoto Debate (Update2)(Bloomberg) "I recognize that greenhouse gases are an issue and that we've got to deal with it,'' Bush said. "I also strongly believe that technology and the proper use of technology will enable the world to grow our economies and at the same time be wiser about how we protect the environment.'' July 7, 2005
• We're a step closer to taming the Sun (Telegraph) Iter will show whether, after half a century of tantalising promise, scientists are at last about to catch up with the receding horizon of fusion expectations.July 7, 2005
• Nuclear fusion: power to the people?(The Register) It's G8 week, and climate change is high on the agenda. And now that even George Bush has acknowledged that climate change is (a) happening and (b) is at least partly due to humans but insisted it (c) should be tackled through technology, why not focus again on a technology that's (1) happening and (2) partly controlled by humans? That is, nuclear fusion. July 6, 2005
• Japan wins by withdrawing ITER bid (Japan Times) France has won the competition to host the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world's first nuclear-fusion reactor. Japan fought hard to win the project, but in the end the projected cost and the promise of playing a significant role in subsequent research gave Tokyo ample reason to withdraw its bid. July 6, 2005
• Fusion Power, Elusive and Alluring (NY Times) Now a battle is brewing in Washington over how to finance the American contribution. July 5, 2005
• The Glory of France, and we don't mean food or wine (Wall Street Journal) - It's fitting that France was chosen as the site for an experimental nuclear fusion reactor. The French have been a glowing example of the benefits of nuclear power for decades. July 5, 2005
• Win for France over fusion reactor, a big blow to Japan (NZ Herald) - The quest to find a clean, cheap and abundant way to meet future global energy needs took a big step forward last week when six of the world's leading powers agreed that France, not Japan, should be the site for an experimental nuclear fusion reactor. But the choice was a loss for big science in Asia and will fan Japanese resentment of China. July 5, 2005
• Nuclear ambitions A step towards commercial fusion power. Perhaps (The Economist )This week, an international project to build a nuclear-fusion reactor came a step closer to reality when politicians agreed it should be constructed in France rather than in Japan, the other country lobbying to host it. The estimated cost is $12 billion, making it one of the most expensive scientific projects around - comparable financially with the International Space Station. Posted July 4, 2005
• Official Statements from the Ministerial Meeting for the ITER Siting Decision, June 28, 2005, Moscow Updated July 2, 2005
• China might build its own thermonuclear experimental reactor (Xinhua ) - Update from UPI July 4, 2005 update. A leading Chinese plasma physicist said Thursday China might build its own thermonuclear experimental reactor, which would be expected to supply sustained electricity for the world's most populous country. China to increase fusion funding. July 1, 2005
• ITER Finds a Home - With a Whopping Mortgage (Science) - As expected, the E.U. will pay for 50% of ITER's $5 billion construction price tag. The other five partners will contribute 10% each. June 30, 2005
• Chirac calls ITER essential for planet's future (AFP) CADARACHE, France, June 30 (AFP) - French President Jacques Chirac on Thursday hailed a decision to build a multi-billion-dollar nuclear fusion reactor in southern France as vital to the planet's future, praising European solidarity in sealing the deal. June 30, 2005
• Japan consoled with contracts as France snares fusion project (Nature) June 30, 2005
• Lost ITER bid elicits mixed reactions (Japan Times) Where some see setback for Japanese research, others see turning point. June 30, 2005
• Star Power - France has just been chosen as the host site for the experimental ITER nuclear fusion reactor, a multi-billion-dollar project designed to emulate the power of the Sun. Richard Ingham looks at the potential benefits of the reactor - and its problems. June 30, 2005
• France Will Get Fusion Reactor To Seek a Future Energy Source (NY Times) With the agreement, the consortium can now proceed with the drafting of a deal on the construction and operation of the reactor. ITER officials said they hoped that the accord would be signed by the end of the year, allowing work on the reactor to begin next year and ground to be broken at the Cadarache site in 2008. Current plans foresee the reactor operating in 2016. June 29, 2005
• Is fusion the best way forward? (CNN) BRUSSELS, Belguim (Reuters) -- The choice of France as the site for an international nuclear fusion reactor is a victory for strong-arm European diplomacy, but the EU has had to pay a high price for scientific prestige with uncertain energy benefits. June 29, 2005
•  ITER Siting Decision Clears One Important Obstacle in Congress -(AIP) "This is real . . . we've got a project on our hands." - DOE Office of ScienceDirector Ray Orbach June 29, 2005
• US Senate Passes Energy Bill in Prelude to Talks With House (NY Times) WASHINGTON, June 28 - The Senate overwhelmingly passed broad energy legislation today, hoping its emphasis on both traditional and emerging sources of power could break a four-year Congressional stalemate over energy policy. Senate press release. June 28, 2005
• Official Statements on the ITER Siting Decision June 28, 2005
  • U.S.DOE Statements on International Fusion Reactor (ITER) Siting Decision.
  • Remarks on behalf of the United States Governmentat the ITER Ministerial Meeting by Dr. Raymond L. Orbach Director, Office of Science
  • Joint Declaration signed by the six ITER parties. Also, Joint EU - JA Agreement with additional details.
• Japan has key role in ITER project (Daily Yomiuri) Despite its concession to the EU in the dispute over the location of the reactor, Japan has gained assurances from the other ITER participants that it will reap rich benefits from the project.June 28, 2005
• France to Be Site of World's First Nuclear Fusion Reactor (NY Times) Many scientists see the estimated $12 billion project as essential to solving the world's future energy needs. Construction of the reactor is expected to cost $5 billion with its operation is expected to cost another $5 billion over twenty years, according to officials of the reactor project. June 28, 2005
• France to host world's first nuclear fusion plant A nuclear fusion power station is the 'Holy Grail' for scientists trying to find a viable alternative to the world's depleting stocks of oil and gas. The search took on new significance as crude this week reached a record price of $60.95 a barrel in some trading. June 28, 2005
• $13 billion nuclear fusion site gets green light (MSNBC) (pdf) France to host test reactor in search for alternative to fossil fuel.June 28, 2005
• Nuclear fusion reactor project in France: an expensive and senseless nuclear stupidity Paris, 28 June 2005 - Greenpeace deplores the agreement by the Representatives of the Parties to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) (1) to construct one of the world's largest nuclear fusion experiments in Cadarache, Southern France. June 28, 2005
• French Ecologists Dismayed by ITER Project Win - MARSEILLE, France, June 28 (AFP) - Environmental groups expressed dismay Tuesday at the decision to build the international ITER experimental nuclear power station in southern France, calling it a dangerous and costly installation. June 28, 2005
• Decision over siting of ITER is made at long last. -Nature- An 18-month deadlocked contest between Japan and Europe over who gets to play host to a US$5.5-billion experimental fusion reactor has finally come to an end. After much political back-and-forth, rumours and anticipation, the winner is France. June 28, 2005
• Biggest nuclear fusion project goes to France (New Scientist)June 28, 2005
• Europe beats Japan to ITER prize - (Physics World) The ITER fusion experiment will be built in at Cadarache in the south of France. The decision was announced by the six ITER partners - China, the European Union (EU), Japan, Russia, South Korea and the US - at a ministerial meeting in Moscow this morning. As part of various concessions to Japan, which had also offered a site for the project, the EU has agreed "privileged partnership" status for Japan, which includes support for a Japanese director-general for the project and a significant financial package. June 28, 2005
• Agreement on ITER construction to be signed in end of 2005 - MOSCOW, June 28 (Itar-Tass) -- An agreement on ITER construction will be signed in the end of this year, and the thermonuclear reactor will have been built by 2014, Dr. Raymond Orbach, the director of the Office of Science of the US Department of Energy told a news conference after the Moscow meeting on ITER construction. According to him, it will be clear in ten years whether an experimental thermonuclear power plant is built. June 28, 2005
• STAR POWER: ITER, BOLDEST NUCLEAR INITIATIVE SINCE MANHATTAN PROJECT PARIS, June 28 (AFP) - In today's world, most energy sources are expensive, dirty, dangerous and finite. The vision behind ITER, the 10-billion-dollar scheme which cleared its last political hurdle on Tuesday, is of a world where energy will be cheap, clean, safe and almost infinite. June 28, 2005
• France gets nuclear fusion plant (BBC-0430 EST) (pdf) France will get to host the project to build a 10bn-euro ($12bn) nuclear fusion reactor, in the face of strong competition from Japan. Janez Potocnik, EU commissioner for science and research said that Iter "marks a major step forward in international science cooperation". He added: "Now that we have reached consensus on the site for Iter, we will make all efforts to finalise the agreement on the project, so that construction can begin as soon as possible." June 28, 2005
• 'DELIGHTED' CHIRAC TO VISIT ITER NUCLEAR REACTOR SITE THURSDAY - PARIS, June 28 (AFP) - President Jacques Chirac said Tuesday he was delighted by the designation of France to host the ITER experimental nuclear energy reactor and will visit the site at Cadarache in the south of the country on Thursday. The choice of Cadarache "is a great success for France, for Europe and for all the partners in ITER," the president said in a communique.June 28, 2005
• Fusion centre decision 'imminent' (BBC) A long wrangle over the location of a 10bn-euro nuclear fusion reactor could be resolved on Tuesday (June 28) , with the EU expected to get the nod over Japan. June 27, 2005
• China, South Korea oppose fusion project perks for Japan - Kyodo -TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan may have a hard time winning all the incentives it wants in return for giving up its bid to build an experimental nuclear fusion reactor due to opposition from China and South Korea, Kyodo news agency said on Saturday. June 25, 2005
• Details are emerging concerning the Ministerial level Meeting (MM-2) planned to be held in Moscow 28th June (next Tuesday). This meeting is expected to sign an agreement on the choice of ITER site. There are however no details yet of the content of the declaration from this meeting. The meeting is planned to take place in the Red Hall of the President Hotel, Moscow, starting at 10.30 am. RF Minister Rumyantsev will welcome the participants. The EU,Japan, China, Korea and USA representatives will also be invited to make opening remarks. All Parties are then invited to sign the declaration. The IAEA representative may also add a comment. TV companies are invited to tape the signing for the evening news, and the meeting will be followed by a press conference. Further details on press attendance can be obtained from N. Shengarev (+7 095 239 4456). The content of the declaration will be posted here as soon as possible on the 28th. June 24, 2005
• France to win huge nuclear fusion project - New Scientist - A long and bitter dispute about where to site the world's largest nuclear fusion reactor looks all but certain to end in favour of France. June 24, 2005
• Political Crisis Puts Europe'sResearch Ambitions in Doubt - SCIENCE - The marathon summit that failed and plunged the European Union into disarray last week also dealt a severe blow to aspirations for European science policy, unveiled just 2 months ago by the European Commission - most notably to its plan to double the E.U.'s science budget. June 24, 2005
• Russia govt refuses to finance several fed programs in 2006 In the view of economists, federal funds should not be allotted any more for the "Youth of Russia," "International Thermonuclear Reactor (ITER), as well as "Socio-economic development of the Kurile Islands and Sakhalin region" programmes. June 23, 2005
• G8 decision on fusion would herald nuclear future STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Nuclear fusion as a future abundant energy source would receive a boost if G8 leaders agree next month on the site for the world's first fusion test reactor, two nuclear scientists said on Wednesday. June 23, 2005
• ITER Site Decision still being debated in the Press - AFP reports Japan has told EU it is giving up on nuclear reactor bid but Japan's Science Ministry Denies Report It Dropped Proposal to Host Fusion Reactor. June 22, 2005
• US Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water(Excerpts relevant to fusion or see full report) recommends restoring funds for operation of existing US magnetic fusion facilties at a budget level of $290M equal to the Preisent's request. The Committee also recommends no funds for the continued construction of NIF. June 17, 2005
• JAPAN TO ANNOUNCE JUNE 28 GIVING UP NUCLEAR REACTOR BID: REPORT - TOKYO, June 17 (AFP) - Japan will announce on June 28 that it is giving up on hosting a revolutionary nuclear energy project also sought by France after a long deadlock in negotiations, a newspaper reported Friday. June 17, 2005
• Budget crisis threatens EU-Basic priniciples of economic union at risk LONDON - Days after the proposed European Union constitution was shattered by French and Dutch voters, two other pillars of Europe's economic union are teetering this week on the edge of collapse. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has warned that the EU faces permanent crisis and paralysis if it does not resolve its differences. Background on EU budget-BBC. June 16, 2005
• EU stands firm in new Japan talks on nuclear deal (AFP) The EU renewed a pledge to strike an accord with Japan this month in a dispute over the location of a revolutionary nuclear project, as new talks on the standoff were held in Brussels. June 15, 2005
• President Bush calls on US Congress to pass Energy Bill . Senate Energy and natural Resources subcommittee forwards Energy Bill (S. 10) to full Senate. The bill describes the requirements for US particpation in ITER, specifies that if ITER does not go forward that DOE put forward a plan for a domestic burning plasma experiment. The fusion budget profile authorized is :FY06=$349M, FY07=$362M, FY08=$377M, with ITER construction at FY06=$55M, FY07=$95M, FY08=$115M. June 15, 2005 see House Energy Bill(HR. 610) February 11, 2005 below.
• Senate Energy and Water Appropriations SubCommittee restores US Domestic program at fusion budget of $290 M for FY2006. June 15, 2005
• Japan sends vice minister to EU to confirm intention on ITER bid (Kyodo) -The Japanese government on Tuesday dispatched Tetsuhisa Shirakawa, vice minister for education and science, to Brussels for final confirmation on whether or not the European Union has any intention of giving up its bid to have the world's first nuclear fusion reactor situated in France. June 14, 2005
• Koizumi says Japan still hoping to host international nuclear fusion reactor "There are still last-minute negotiations to find a solution that the six parties can agree on," Koizumi told a group of reporters. "We have been negotiating so we can meet the expectations" from the businesses and the town in northern Japan hoping to become a host, he said. June 14, 2005
• European Union leaders began an intense week of budgetary and constitution wrangling The 25 countries must decide how to respond to the constitution defeats and how to share the funding of the EU's budget. June 13, 2005
• Germany casts doubt on extra Framework funding for research (including ITER). Plans to double the European Union's research budget (and nearly triple the fusion budget to accomodate ITER construction) in the 7th Framework may have suffered a major setback last week when Germany indicated that it will back down from its proposed funding. At a meeting in Berlin on 2 June, Joschka Fischer, the German foreign minister, told Janez Potocnik, the European commissioner for research, that Germany cannot afford to finance any substantial increase in European budgets.Nature June 8, 2005
• France Won't Build Reactor Without Accord, Japan Official Says ``It's hard to imagine France building the reactor without first reaching an agreement with ourselves and the other countries participating in this project,'' Takahiro Hayashi, deputy director of the office of fusion energy in Japan's ministry of education and science, said in a telephone interview today. The EU aims for an agreement with Japan at a planned meeting in Moscow tentatively scheduled for June 28. June 8, 2005
• Looking on bright side of losing ITER (Yomiuri Shimbun) Japan's bid for the ITER site was led by the Education, Science and Technology Ministry, which saw hosting the reactor as a way of ensuring that Japan would become the world's leader in nuclear fusion energy. The Finance Ministry, however, was skeptical about the idea, saying the cost of hosting the project would be huge. A six-party vice-ministerial meeting on May 5 in Geneva, adopted a set of accords concerning preferential treatment for the losing candidate. June 8, 2005
• EU says still plans to start fusion project 2005 - LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - The European Union plans to start construction of a nuclear fusion reactor known as ITER before the end of the year despite ongoing negotiations with Japan over the site's location, Janez Potocnik, European Commissioner for science and research said after the Council of ministers meeting on Tuesday. A Ministerial level meeting of the six ITER parties is being planned in Moscow for June 28 where a siting decision could be announced to meet the June deadline. June 7, 2005
• Japan to ask EU to 'joint host' revolutionary nuclear reactor Japan will ask the European Union to declare it a "joint host" of a revolutionary nuclear energy project even if the reactor is located in France, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said.The two sides have also agreed that any later-generation ITER reactor would go to Japan, it said. The report also said South Korea has unofficially expressed objections that Japan would get so much out of ITER unlike other participating nations that will not host the reactor. June 6, 2005
• With Domestic Fusion Program at Issue, House Votes to Hold Up FY 2006 Funding for ITER The Department of Energy (DOE) has jousted with Congress for years over how to fund the U.S. share of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). Now some key members of Congress want to take the project hostage until the White House lays out a funding plan that covers both ITER and domestic fusion research. June 2, 2005
• European Council of Ministers to discuss ITER Negotiators Progress at June 6-7 Meeting. The Council will discuss progress of the ITER negotiations toward their goal of reaching an agreement by the end of June to build ITER in France. June 2, 2005
• Japan sets concessions to give breakthrough reactor project to EU: AFP -TOKYO - Japan is setting two conditions to secure business at home before it will give up its bid to host a revolutionary nuclear energy project also sought by France, a news report said Monday. May 30, 2005
• STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY on H.R. 2419 - Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill. The Administration objects to the Committee's reduction of more than half of the construction funds for U.S. contributions to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). Such a significant reduction could harm the standing of the United States during the critical final phase of the international negotiations this summer and would result in unnecessary schedule delays and cost escalation. May 28, 2005
• Contents of European-Japanese ITER deal revealed. Daily Yomiuri May 27, 2005
• US funding of fusion reactor in doubt The US Congress is divided over how to fund the US share of the world's largest nuclear fusion facility, mirroring a rift between some scientists and the US Department of Energy. The New Scientist May 26, 2005
• Fusion Support Fissions-On May 25, the full U. S. House House of Representatives approved, by voice vote, an amendment by Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) to prevent the U.S.from entering into an agreement on ITER, the international fusion experiment, before March 1, 2006. Boehlert's action, taken with the endorsement of House Appropriations Committee Chair David Hobson (R-OH),reflects a growing gap between the fusion policy presented by the Department of Energy (DOE) and that advocated by the U. S. fusion community and the Congress.May 26, 2005
• HOUSE APPROVES BOEHLERT FUSION AMENDMENT-  "The amendment says, in effect, that we [the US Congress] can't finalize an agreement on ITER before March 1 of next year.  By then we will have in hand both the proposed ITER agreement and the President's fiscal 2007 budget request.  With that information, we should be able to determine if there is a consensus on moving forward. May 26, 2005
• FY 2006 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill reported by US House of Representatives Appropriation Committee. The Committee recommends a Fusion Energy Sciences budget of $295,155,000, an increase of $5,605,000 over the budget request but with a significant redirection of funds. The Committee recommends $541,418,000 for the Inertial Confinement Fusion and High Yield Program, which maintains the program at the current year level and is an increase of $81,000,000 over the budget request. May 16, 2005
• The U.S. ITER Project Advisory Committee met May 12-13 at PPPL. May 16, 2005
• U.S. ITER Project Office gave an Overview of ITER on May 11 at the request of a group of industrial members. May 16, 2005
• Losing the ITER project may be the best bet. Asahi Shimbun One factor contributing to Japan's giving up the chase is the swelling financial cost of the bidding war. May 16, 2005
• LDP group warns against reported gov't move to give up ITER bid - Kyodo-"There have been media reports saying that Japan will give up its bid to host (ITER), but they are wrong," former Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Takeo Hiranuma, who heads the group, was quoted as saying at the outset of a meeting of the lawmakers. May 13, 2005
• ITER Rivals Agree to Terms; Site Said to Be Cadarache - Science - CAMBRIDGE,U.K., AND TOKYO - The contenders to host the $11 billion ITER fusion project - Japan and the European Union - finally appear to have made a deal. May 13, 2005
  • France and Japan disagree over outcome of ITER meeting Cordis - Discussions over the eventual site of the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) have become more heated after the French Minister for Research declared that an agreement had been reached. Japan immediately rejected the claim and made it known that a diplomatic protest over the declaration was being considered. May 9, 2005
  • Japan remains committed to ITER bid, says official (Kyodo) - Japan remains committed to its bid to host the world's first nuclear fusion reactor at a site in Aomori Prefecture, a top bureaucrat at Japan's science and technology ministry said Monday. May 9, 2005
  • Japan, EU reach basic agreement over ITER The Yomiuri Shimbun The [japanese] government and the European Union on Thursday reached a basic agreement over the role of host and non-hosting countries in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project during talks in Geneva, a [Japanese] government official said.May 6, 2005
  • JAPAN 'CONSIDERING PROTEST' OVER CHIRAC STATEMENT ON NUCLEAR PROJECT TOKYO, May 6 (AFP) - Japan has not given up its bid to host a pioneering nuclear reactor and is considering a formal protest over remarks by President Jacques Chirac claiming it will go to France, the science ministry said Friday. May 6, 2005
  • EU SAYS NO AGREEMENT ON FUSION REACTOR, FRANCE SAYS DEAL DONE BRUSSELS, May 5 (AFP) - The European Union and Japan have yet to reach an agreement on locating a revolutionary nuclear fusion reactor in southeastern France, rather than northern Japan, the EU said following talks Thursday in Geneva. "This morning's meeting was very constructive, and helped us make progress on the roles of the host and non-host countries," said Antonia Mochan, the spokeswoman for EU science and research commissioner Janez Potocnik.  "We are very hopeful of an agreement by July," she added. May 5, 2005
  • JAPAN, EU TO SIGN AN ACCORD OVER ITER THURSDAY: REPORT TOKYO, May 5 (AFP) - Japan and the European Union are expected to sign an agreement Thursday making Japan a preferred source of materials for a revolutionary new nuclear reactor should it be built in France, reports said.The signing expected in Geneva Thursday comes after the EU made drastic compromises to satisfy Japan, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper said, citing a French source close to the matter. May 5, 2005
  • Japan considers conceding ITER site to France -Kyodo News- The ballooning construction cost burden amid stalled negotiations has prompted Japan to consider withdrawing its bid, the sources said, citing reluctance from the Finance Ministry. May 4, 2005
  • FRANCE CLOSING IN ON DEAL TO HOST ITER NUCLEAR REACTOR- PARIS, May 4 (AFP) - France appeared Wednesday to be heading towards a deal to build a ground-breaking nuclear reactor, with President Jacques Chirac all but declaring victory and a report in Tokyo that arch-rival Japan had given up on the project. May 4, 2005
  • [Japanese] Govt may concede ITER site to France -Yomiuri Shimbun - The [Japanese] government may be prepared to accept the building of the planned International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor in another country providing Japan wins construction work and jobs, government sources said. May 3, 2005
  • Japan, EU fail to break deadlock on fusion site. Japan and the European Union failed yesterday to break the deadlock over their competing claims to house a $10bn (7.8bn euro, 5.2bn pound) nuclear fusion research centre, leaving them just two months to thrash out a deal. Financial Times May 3, 2005
  • ITER site decision yet to be made: Japanese official - Japan has made no decision on the siting the revolutionary ITER nuclear reactor, an issue on which it has been deadlocked with the European Union, a spokesman for the country's foreign minister said. May 3, 2005
  • Japan may accept nuclear [fusion] reactor built in Europe PARIS (AFX) - Japan may drop its bid to host the revolutionary International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and instead agree to it being built in Europe, the EU presidency said.May 2, 2005
  • "We agreed that we should engage in efforts so that an earliest possible agreement [on ITER]can be achieved," Koizumi said after EU-JA Summit. The EU says it still hopes that an agreement can be hammered out by June, but has warned that it could go ahead with the project on the French site without Japan if necessary. May 2, 2005
  • Europe and Japan still appeared deadlocked over a site for the world's first nuclear fusion reactor, in which the EU and Japan are partners with China, the United States, Russia and South Korea. May 2, 2005
  • Europe and Japan at Odds over 'Superpower' Reactor May 2, 2005
  • ITER on EU-JA Summit Agenda- Junichiro Koizumi, Japanese prime minister, is the VIP-visitor of the week, spending Sunday evening and Monday in Luxembourg at an EU-Japan summit. Attention will focus on two highly sensitive areas: the future of the bloc's arms embargo on China and the home for an international $10bn nuclear fusion project. Financial Times May 1, 2005
  • EU-JAPAN Summit - 2 May 2005 EU leaders will welcome Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the 14th Summit between the European Union (EU) and Japan in Luxembourg on 2 May 2005.The EU and Japan are working towards a consensual solution to the ITER issue, and have agreed to a process which should enable a decision by July. April 29, 2005
• Fusion in the Laboratory using Pyroelectric Crystal
  • Electron and positive ion acceleration with pyroelectric crystals JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS 97, 074109 s2005d April 29, 2005
  • Tabletop Accelerator Breaks 'Cold Fusion' Jinx But Won't Yield Energy, Physicists Say Science April 28, 2005
  • Itty-Bitty and Shrinking, Fusion Device Has Big Ideas (K. Chang, NY Times) April 28, 2005
  • Physicists look to crystal device for future of fusion Nature News, April 28 April 27, 2005
  • Observation of nuclear fusion driven by a pyroelectric crystal reported in Nature April 27, 2005. Note: crystal fusion produced 800 deuterium-deuterium fusion reactions per second compared to 50,000,000,000,000,000 deuterium-deuterium fusion reactions per second in magnetic fusion (e.g., TFTR). April 27, 2005
  • Warm Fusion Comments in Nature - potential applications of pyroelectric crystal fusion include calibration of neutron sources, etc. April 27, 2005
• EU Commission proposal for 7th Framework would Triple Fusion Budget up to 2.167 billion euros, significantly more than the previous programme's budget of 824 million euros. Official proposal of Commission to the Council of Ministers (Euratom section) April 27, 2005
• EU stresses nuclear fusion reactor to be in Europe LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - The world' first nuclear fusion reactor will be in Europe, European Union member state ministers said on Monday, despite no agreement yet with project partner Japan, which also wants to host the plant. April 18, 2005
• EU Council Press Release-ITER, Next Steps: At the end of the second part of the Competitiveness Council of 18 April 2005, dedicated to research, Francois Biltgen, Minister for Culture, Research and Higher Education as well as President of the Competitiveness Council informed about the next stages in the ITER dossier: April 18, 2005
• European Council of Ministers to Discuss State of ITER Negotiations - On April 18, the Council will hear a report by European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potocnik on the results of the meetings with Japanese Minister of Science and Technology, Nakayama . April 17, 2005
• European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potocnik expressed confidence on the possibility of striking a deal by the July 2005 deadline. Japan's Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Nakayama separately told reporters that the European Union has made a new proposal and that the two sides "have entered a stage at which a political decision can be made". April 12, 2005
• EU and Japan Delay Siting Decision on ITER Until July 2005. (AFP) Talks in Tokyo aimed at breaking the impasse led only to an agreement to make a decision before the July 6-8 summit in Scotland of the Group of Eight nations, which will be attended by the Japanese and French leaders. April 12, 2005
• EU research chief in Japan amid deadlock on nuclear project TOKYO (AFX) - EU research commissioner Janez Potocnik held talks here aimed at breaking an impasse over which country should host the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a multi-billion-dollar project to create clean, inexhaustible energy. The commissioner met Yasufumi Tanahashi, junior state minister for science and technology, and will hold talks tomorrow with Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Nariaki Nakayama.April 11, 2005
• US Warns EU on ITER Stance (FPA) On April 7, Dr. Ray Orbach, Director of the US Department of Energy Office of Science, told a public meeting of his Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee that, in a meeting earlier in the week, he told a high level European Union official that the US viewed "unfavorably" reports that the EU was considering making a unilateral decision to proceed with construction of ITER in France. Orbach said he told the official that if the EU were to proceed without an agreement on site from the other 5 ITER partners (Japan, Russia, China, Korea and the US) the US would consider that the EU had withdrawn from the ITER collaboration, reducing it from a 6-member to a 5 member partnership. April 7, 2005
• EU research chief to head to Japan next week to discuss ITER BRUSSELS (AFP) - EU research commissioner Janez Potocnik will go to Japan next week to make his case (April 12) for building the revolutionary nuclear project known as ITER in Europe, he said. Potocnik's trip to Japan comes a week ahead of a crucial meeting between European research ministers on April 18 in Luxembourg. April 7, 2005
• Global warming fuels call to invest in nuclear fusion Sir David King, who last night gave the opening speech at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, said he believed fusion power would become a reality. April 2, 2005
• ITER Site Decision still Deadlocked after Chirac Discussions with Koizumi
  • Chirac seeks deal with Japan to break deadlock on nuclear project "What the summit did was to reconfirm the method that we have been taking and to continue the ongoing dialogue" said Satoru Ohtake, chief of the Office of Fusion Energy, which handles the ITER issue at the Japanese science and technology ministry. March 28, 2005
  • Japan and France also made no headway on their dispute over ITER.-Tokyo (AFP) The Japanese foreign ministry official said Koizumi and Chirac agreed in principle for an EU delegation to visit Japan before April 18, when the Europeans will hold a meeting on ITER in Brussels. Chirac, calling for an early resolution of the issue, proposed sending a European commissioner to Japan next month to accelerate talks and Koizumi agreed, a Japanese official said. - Tokyo (Kyodo News) March 27, 2005
  • Koizumi stands firm to Chirac on Japan hosting nuclear project (EU Business) "Japan has no intention to withdraw its bid to invite ITER," Koizumi told a joint news conference with the French head of state. "With President Chirac, we have agreed to continue our discussions to reach a mutually agreeable solution." Before Koizumi's remarks, Chirac had said the Japanese leader made proposals on ITER "which seem to be a nature that could allow an agreement." March 27, 2005
  • Koizumi and Chirac fail to Reach Decision on ITER TOKYO (Reuters) "We don't have any intention of withdrawing," Koizumi tells Chirac on Japan's bid to host ITER. March 27, 2005
  • Technology, Arms to China and sumo on the menu for French president in Japan (AFP) On Sunday evening Chirac will have discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. March 26, 2005
  • Row over ITER location ready to boil over In the tug-of-war between Japan and the European Union over a site for an experimental nuclear fusion reactor, France now appears to have gone on the offensive against Japan, whose ministries are marching to different drummers. March 25, 2005
• Congress threatens ITER over cost to US fusion labs [Nature, WASHINGTON] History is threatening to repeat itself as members of the US Congress chafe at the country's participation in an international fusion experiment. March 23, 2005
• European leaders agreed to accelerate plans to build the world's first nuclear fusion reactor in France - even if it means that the project goes ahead in the absence of an agreement with Japan on where the reactor should be located. March 23, 2005
• Japanese (LDP) lawmakers to ask Koizumi to show resolve to host fusion reactor During the meeting, some LDP lawmakers demanded that the resolution call for the Japanese government to start building ITER in Japan in collaboration with the United States and South Korea if Japan fails to reach an agreement with the European Union, Oshima said.March 17, 2005
• Orbach Testimony to House and Senate Appropriations on March 15 March 17, 2005
• Senate Appropriations Chairman, Domenici, Disputes Fusion Research Shift In an opening statement at the hearing on Energy and Water Appropriations for FY 2006, Domenici said he is greatly concerned about a budgetary shift on U.S. fusion research to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), particularly since there is not international agreement on citing this facility. The budget proposes a $46 million U.S. contribution to ITER, the first installment on a $1 billion commitment. "This subcommittee has been very clear about its opposition to funding ITER out of the fusion account. If we are to remain at the cutting edge of fusion research, we cannot undermine our own scientific excellence by under-funding our own capability," Domenici said. March 16, 2005
• India seeks to join EU energy project (ITER) Negotiations have already begun for India's inclusion in the project for building the world's biggest nuclear fusion reactor, a senior EU official told visiting journalists on condition of anonymity. March 11, 2005
• FRANCE'S CHIRAC TO MEET KOIZUMI, EMPEROR, ON JAPAN VISIT Arms Embargo and ITER are on the agenda for a visit starting March 26.March 11, 2005
• Securing Our Nation's Energy Future President Bush today visited Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, to view the energy technologies of the future and to reiterate his call for Congress to pass a sound national energy policy. March 9, 2005
• Japan warns EU against unilateral reactor move TOKYO, March 9 (Reuters) - Japan warned the European Union on Wednesday against starting to build the world's first nuclear fusion reactor, saying such a unilateral move would backfire. March 9, 2005
• Japan rejects Europe's nuclear fusion deadline (New Scientist) The European Union and Japan are still deadlocked over where to build the world's largest nuclear fusion facility, after Japan brushed off a new EU "deadline" to reach a decision by the end of June. March 8, 2005
• Wrangle over site could pull fusion reactor project apart: (Financial Times) The wrangling over the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor has exposed the limits of international scientific co-operation when jobs and money are at a stake. March 8, 2005
• Japan to pursue bid for nuclear project despite EU's June deadline TOKYO (AFX) - The government here said it will maintain its bid to host a revolutionary nuclear project, despite fresh pressure from the EU, which has threatened to build the reactor in France unless Japan compromises by June. "There is no change in our position," Takahiro Hayashi, deputy director of Japan's Office of Fusion Energy, told Agence France-Presse. March 8, 2005
• Clock ticking on fusion decision (BBC) Europe has made it clear it will not wait beyond June to reach international agreement on where to site Iter, the experimental nuclear fusion reactor. March 8, 2005
• Provisional Minutes of the EU Coucil Meeting The Council took note of the information given by Mr. Janez POTOCNIK, Commissaire in charge of research, on the progress report of the international negotiations relating to the future construction of an international experimental thermonuclear engine (ITER). The Council will reconsider this question at its next meeting on April 18. March 8, 2005
• EU Gives Japan Until End-June to Accept Nuclear-Project Offer March 7 (Bloomberg) -- The European Union gave Japan until the end of June to accept an offer of a ``privileged partnership'' in a 4.6 billion-euro ($6.1 billion) experimental nuclear-fusion reactor project in France, saying construction must begin this year. March 7, 2005
• EU gives Japan until June to reach deal on nuclear project BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Union will give Japan until June to reach a deal about who will host a revolutionary nuclear reactor, saying that otherwise it could press ahead with the project without Tokyo's support. March 7, 2005
• EU reiterates warning to Japan over nuclear project Brussels EU science and research commissioner Janez Potocnik issued his latest barely-disguised warning to Japan over the EU's plans at a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels. March 7, 2005
• Japan rejects EU call for high-level talks to Resolve ITER Deadlock "High-level political talks would be fruitless." If we were to hold such talks forcibly, we would only reach a deadlock," Satoru Ohtake, director of fusion energy at the Science and Technology Ministry, told Reuters.March 4, 2005
• EU presses Japan to compromise on nuclear project BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Union is pressing Japan to consider a "high political level" compromise to resolve a standoff over who will host a revolutionary nuclear reactor project, a key EU official said. March 3, 2005
• EU Research Comissioner on visit to JET - March 3, 2005. The EU has spared no effort and has made an offer to Japan that in all respects is comparable to the Japanese proposal. March 3, 2005
• House Science Committee approves H.R. 610 a comprehensive energy research and development (R&D) bill. The bill describes the requirements for US particpation in ITER, specifies that if ITER does not go forward that DOE put forward a plan for a domestic burning plasma experiment. The fusion budget profile specified is :FY06=$335M, FY07=$349M, FY08=$362M, FY09=$377M, FY10=$393M. February 11, 2005
• FY 2006 Budgets for DOE Office of Science and Fusion
  • Office of Science Overview Orbach February 7, 2005
  • Fusion Energy Sciences Budget for FY 2006 - Detailed Breakout 52 pages February 7, 2005
  • Fusion Program Summary for Program Leaders.February 7, 2005
  • Fusion Budget Breakout-one page February 7, 2005
• President's FY 2006 Budget Proposes $290 M for Fusion Energy Sciences including $50M for ITER. Fusion Research In January 2003, President Bush committed the United States to participate in negotiations on the largest and most technologically sophisticated energy research project in the world&emdash;the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The United States and its international partners&emdash;the European Union, Japan, Russia, China, and South Korea&emdash;continue to work toward a consensus decision on the site for ITER early in 2005. If successful, this cost-shared $5 billion research project will advance progress towards developing fusion's potential as a commercially viable and clean source of energy near the middle of this century. Assuming that international partners reach a timely site decision, the $50 million provided in the 2006 Budget funds the first year of equipment fabrication for the United States' in-kind contributions to this important partnership. (from DOE FY 2006 Budget Overview) February 7, 2005
• China to strengthen joint research in fusion power BEIJING, Feb. 6 (By Yu Zheng ¨Xinhuanet) -- Chinese scientists are considering strengthening international cooperation in research on fusion power plants, Lu Yongxiang, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) ,one of China's top science and technology decision makers said here recently. February 6, 2005
• Japan rejects EU ITER deal Additional details on reasons for the rejection. February 2, 2005
• Japan has rejected the latest ITER proposal from the EU On Monday, the business newspaper said Japan had rejected a proposal from the EU which required Tokyo to give up the project in return for the EU extending preferential orders to Japanese companies working on ITER. February 1, 2005
• S Korea Budgets US$27.8 MLN For Nuclear Fusion Project Friday January 28, 02:16 PM South Korea said Friday it has budgeted 28.6 billion won (US$27.8 million) this year for its newest nuclear fusion research facility as part of efforts toward a multi-billion-dollar experimental nuclear fusion project.January 28, 2005
• "We want to enter as a main player on the main stage" In his first interview with CORDIS News since being appointed EU Science and Research Commissioner, Janez Potoãnik outlined his immediate and long term priorities, and explained why he believes a focus on knowledge creation is essential to protecting the "European way of life".January 24, 2005
• All I want for 2005 - "I'd wish for two burning plasma experiments in the world, instead of just one." Professor Gerald Navratil, Plasma physicist, Columbia University, Nature January 5, 2005
• European ITER Position Clarified- Professor Paul Vandenplas, Vice Chairman, Consultative Committee Euratom-Fusion, January 5, 2005
• Japan, EU adamant about their proposals to host ITER, put off negotiations to next year; Joint construction plan involving Japan, U.S. South Korea also emerging. NIHON KEIZAI, December 20, 2004
• Japan vows no backing down to EU pressure on pioneering nuclear project, Japan will not budge in talks to choose the site of a revolutionary nuclear reactor, a top negotiator said, accusing the European Union of causing the deadlock by its stubborn support for France over Japan. EU Business, December 20, 2004
• DOE Statement to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. December 16, 2004 December 18, 2004
• On Friday, a group of lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party requested in Tokyo that the government conduct a feasibility study on Japan proceeding with the ITER project with only the United States and South Korea. Although the government says it will stick to the six-party ITER framework, science ministry officials have begun talks with their counterparts in Washington and Seoul on the additional financial burdens, construction period, and the size of the ITER project in the event that the EU leaves the framework, an LDP source said. Kyodo December 16, 2004
• Europe and Japan in heated clash over fusion reactor. A battle has broken out over plans to build a reactor that could harness 'fusion power', source of the sun's energy, for humanity. December 12, 2004
• FESAC meeting scheduled for next week has been cancelled. No other information is available.December 10, 2004
• President Nominates Sam Bodman as Secretary of Energy. December 10, 2004
• China and Europe enhance cooperation China and the European Union (EU) signed a number of cooperative agreements on 8 December, some covering nuclear non-proliferation and technology transfer. December 9, 2004
• Japan better choice for ITER given Asian energy demand: governor. The governor of a prefecture aspiring to host a multibillion-dollar international nuclear energy project stepped up lobbying Wednesday for the Japanese site, saying it is a better choice than a European location given a surge in energy demand and rapid economic growth in Asia. December 8, 2004
• Japanese ITER Proposal Disclosed-ITER: Japan to assign 20 percent of construction work to EU firms; Proposal for EU official to assume chief executive position MAINICHI December 7, 2004 December 8, 2004
• The Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) has received a report on Scientific Challenges, Opportunities and Priorities for the the U.S. Fusion Energy Sciences Program. The panel report will be discussed at the FESAC meeting Decmber 14-15 at Gaithersberg, MD. New December 7, 2004
• Japan offered EU compromise over ITER (Kyodo) _ In September Japan offered the European Union a compromise in their stalled negotiations over an international nuclear fusion reactor project, including carrots of 50 billion yen in work for European companies, Japanese government sources said Tuesday. The European Union made a similar counterproposal last month, and the two parities have yet to reach a breakthrough, the sources said.New December 7, 2004
• All I want for Christmas is limitless energy without carbon emissions -Let's stop the posturing and put fusion to the test. New Scientist New December 2, 2004
• ITER-Cadarache:More Than Just a Candidate Site CAMBRIDGE,U.K.&emdash;Government ministers from the 25 European Union (E.U.) countries declared last week that they want to keep negotiating with the other five partners in the international effort to build a $6 billion fusion reactor. But the one thing that is not up for negotiation, they say, is the site. (Science) New December 2, 2004
• Europe breaks ranks over fusion project site The multi-billion-dollar ITER fusion reactor was always intended to be an international collaboration,and was billed as a model for 'big science" projects. But this week, the model looks in deep trouble. Nature New December 2, 2004
• France confident of U.S., S. Korean support for nuke fusion project (Kyodo) _ French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin expressed confidence Wednesday that all parties involved in the international nuclear fusion reactor project, including the United States and South Korea, will soon support the European Union's proposal to build the reactor in France.New December 2, 2004
• Report of the DOE Review of Low Energy Nuclear Reactions sometimes referred to as "cold fusion." New December 1, 2004
• EU, Japan call for dialogue amid row on breakthrough nuclear project The European Union and Japan each called Wednesday for dialogue among the six partners on a multibillion-dollar nuclear energy project amid a deepening row over whether Japan or France will host the site. New December 1, 2004
• The EU will go ahead with locating the International Themonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France if no agreement can be reached with Japan by the end of the year over where to build the plant, according to EU research ministers. French paper Liberation quotes French research minister Francois d'Aubert as saying, "we are going to build Iter in Cadarache (in France) … [the decision] is irrevocable". EUobserver.com New November 28, 2004
• The European Commission has proposed that a "JT60" super-reactor and a research centre for analysis of fusion-related materials be built in Japan to feed into the ITER project. AFP New November 28, 2004
• Europe prepares to go for fusion alone (Nature) European ministers today agreed to build the $6.1-billion ITER experimental nuclear-fusion reactor with less than all its international partners, if that proves necessary to secure a French site for the project. New November 26, 2004
• Japan anger over French nuclear project BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU says it will do its utmost to include Japan in a project to build a nuclear fusion reactor in France, but suggestions the EU may eventually leave Tokyo out drew angry reactions from Japan. New November 26, 2004
• The Competitiveness Council of 26th November mandated the European Commission to do its utmost to finalize the negotiations between the six partners of ITER, the international thermonuclear reactor project, in the very near future. To this end, the concept of a privileged partnership with Japan will be explored. New November 26, 2004
• Toss a Coin for ITER Site Decision Even if Iter runs well over budget, its spending level is unlikely to exceed $1bn a year, a small price to pay for a reasonable chance to give the world another energy option for a time when it will no longer be possible to burn fossil fuels on the profligate scale of the early 21st century. But it should go ahead as a global rather than a European project - and ultimately there is no better way to choose between two good sites than to toss a coin.Posted November 26, 2004
• EU 'declaration of war' over fusion Japan said today it would continue with its bid to host a global nuclear fusion project and warned the European Union against going ahead without Tokyo. "It is regrettable that they are talking about taking unilateral action," Satoru Ohtake, director for fusion energy at Science and Technology Ministry, told Reuters. "There is no change in Japan's policy to seek to host the project." New November 26, 2004
• European research ministers say they are ready to press ahead with the Iter nuclear fusion project even if it means losing Japanese support. New November 26, 2004
• EU to go it alone on nuclear project, if no deal with Japan BRUSSELS (AFP) - EU countries reiterated that they intended to press ahead with the construction of a pioneering nuclear energy project in France if talks with Japan, which also wants to host the facility, fail to reach a conclusion, EU sources said. New November 26, 2004
• EU bids to force Japan's hand in nuclear haggle Europe is bidding to force Japan's hand in negotiations on a revolutionary nuclear energy project, by pledging to go it alone unless Japan gives in and agrees to a French site for the facility.New November 25, 2004
• Background Material for EU Council of Ministers meeting. On Friday, the Council of Ministers will decide on amending negotiating directives on ITER international negotiations. Following recent international negotiations in Vienna 9/10 November among the future ITER partners, the Commission presented last week a Communication containing recommendations on how to best conclude the negotiations. This should be on the broadest possible basis and involve as many partners as possible. The Council is expected to endorse the necessary amendments to the Commission's negotiating directives. New November 23, 2004
• Agenda for the European Council of Ministers meeting calls for a Council Decision on "Amendment of negotiating directives on international negotiations for the future establishment of an ITER legal entity for ITER construction and operation." New November 22, 2004
• Japan calls EU's proposal to end dispute over international nuclear fusion plant "out of the question" Asia News New November 22, 2004
• Fusion power faces big crunch On Friday, decades of research, argument, false dawns and political wrangling over one of the world's most expensive scientific projects will reach a decisive stage. European Union ministers will meet in Brussels to decide whether to push ahead with the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (Iter), an ambitious, £3bn project that aims to prove, once and for all, that fusion power offers the best solution to future energy needs.New November 22, 2004
• House of Representatives Approve a $388 billion domestic and foreign aid bill. Omnibus Appropriation Bill Conference Report sections on Fusion and the Office of Science. The Conference Report for Fusion Energy Science recommends an appropriation of $276.11 for FY 2005 approximately $12M over the President's request. The Conference Report for NNSA recommends $541M for the inertial confinement fusion ignition and high yield program (including $130M for NIF construction), $6M for petawatt laser development, $25M for high average power lasers (HAPL). In addition, $703.76M is provided for Advanced Simulation and Computing. The Conference Report for the Office of Science is also available. All recommended appropriations will be subject to a 0.83% reduction. New November 20, 2004
• Japan may take nuclear option in fusion row In an interview with the Financial Times, Satoru Ohtake, director for fusion energy at Japan's education, science and technology ministry, said: "If Europe maintains its hard line and if France starts building without any agreement from us, we will never join. That would be a miserable result. That would split the world in two."New November 20, 2004
• France and Japan Fail to Resolve Row on Nuclear Project-PARIS, Nov 19 (AFP) - France and Japan failed Friday to resolve their differences on where to build a revolutionary nuclear fusion project, with Foreign Minister Michel Barnier saying France was determined to host the facility.New November 20, 2004
• Euro Meeting Holds Key to ITER Project (Science)&emdash;The clock is ticking toward midnight for the fragile coalition trying to build the $6 billion ITER fusion reactor.New November 18, 2004
• Fight Over ITER Continues (Science Now) An E.U. source says that the commission would like Japan to respond to its offer before the end of the year. If Japan misses that deadline, "the E.U. reserves the right to go ahead with fewer partners, although all will be invited to join," the source says.New November 18, 2004
• Stalemate over fusion project threatens to provoke split (Nature)The European Union (EU) is considering going it alone with plans to build ITER, an international attempt to develop fusion as an energy source. New November 17, 2004
• European Commission presents blueprint for the final sprint in ITER negotiations Official press release by the EU Commission. Today at its meeting in Strasbourg (France) the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Council decision on the international negotiations for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor). New November 17, 2004
• EU will propose nuclear fusion plant without Japan if there's no accord (Tokyo, November 17, 2004) Japan Times - The European Commission on Tuesday recommended that the European Union should go ahead by itself in building a nuclear fusion plant if no agreement is reached with Japan, according to a report from Strasbourg, France. New November 17, 2004
• EU Expected to Offer Japan Bigger Role in Operating Planned Multinational Nuclear-Fusion Reactor EU Research Commissioner Louis Michel is scheduled to present the EU's latest plans for reaching an agreement at a news conference later Tuesday.New November 16, 2004
• EU again warns could mount nuclear project without Japan BRUSSELS (AFP) - Ambassadors from the 25-member EU discussed the situation on Friday, and a new negotiating mandate is expected to be proposed next week by the European Commission, the EU's executive arm.The new mandate, to be unveiled on Tuesday, will "give priority to a solution involving all six parties, but there is a fallback option which is to do it with less than six," said one EU source.New November 12, 2004
• National efforts urged to win ITER location in Japan (Tokyo) Japan Business Federation Chairman Hiroshi Okuda called Thursday for national efforts to bring the planned International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor to Aomori Prefecture.New November 11, 2004
• JAPAN DETERMINED TO HOST NUCLEAR PROJECT, READY TO DISCUSS COMPENSATION Tokyo Nov 11 (AFP) - Japan is determined to host a multibillion-dollar experimental nuclear reactor amid an intense contest with France and is ready to discuss ways to appease the losing side, an official said Thursday. New November 11, 2004
• EU threat over nuke reactor "shamefu" (Daily Times) VIENNA: The European Union's suggestion that it might go its own way and build the world's first nuclear fusion reactor in France is shameful and destructive, a Japanese official said on Wednesday. New November 11, 2004
• China aims to employ nuclear fusion technology in power generation by 2050Shanghai. (Interfax-China) - At the 2004 World Engineers' Convention held in Shanghai, Kang Rixin, the general manager of the China National Nuclear Corporation, announced to the media that China would seek to employ nuclear fusion technologies in power generation by 2050.New November 11, 2004
• EU offers 'sweetener' to Japan to let France host nuclear project (AFP) No date has been fixed for another round of negotiations, but sources here said that the European Commission would decide on Tuesday (Nov 16) whether to press ahead with ITER with as much backing as possible at Cadarache. New November 10, 2004
• Fusion reactor decision must wait (BBC News) Europe has warned it could go it alone if the matter is not resolved soon.The decision to break away could come later this month when Europe's Council of Ministers is expected to discuss the issue. The EU would look to other nations outside the Iter consortium to come in and help fund the work at Cadarache in the south of France. These might include India, Switzerland and Canada, which itself recently withdrew from the Iter process. Japan has been irked by comments in the media over the past day that it was about to concede. This will not happen, its delegation in Vienna has said. It is adamant that its candidate site at Rokkasho-mura in the north of the country is the best - and it has the support of the US and South Korea. (pdf ) New November 9, 2004
• Japan-EU row delays decision on fusion reactor site Japan and the EU will hold talks before all parties convene a ministerial meeting in Moscow in December to make a final decision on the location, negotiation sources said, adding that all negotiating partners nevertheless agreed to proceed with the project within their six-party framework.New November 9, 2004
• Japan, US not ruling out French site for nuclear project according to EU official (AFP) Speaking after the latest round of talks on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in Vienna ended without agreement, European Commission spokesman Fabio Fabbi said "we are pretty positive". "The EU proposals were not accepted, but they weren't rejected either, which is a good sign in itself," he told AFP. New November 9, 2004
• Fusion project talks end in Vienna without agreement VIENNA (AFP) - The latest round of six-party talks on a revolutionary nuclear energy project ended in Vienna with the parties failing to decide on whether it will be located in France or Japan. In Brussels, the European Union had said Tuesday it was prepared to forge ahead with the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) if negotiations with Japan and other backers on where to locate it broke down. New November 9, 2004
• ITER Discussions finish without an agreement on Construction site LeMonde The European negotiators hoped, Tuesday November 9 in Vienna, to tear off an international agreement in favour of the construction of the engine of research on nuclear fusion ITER in the south from France, in Cadarache(Rhone delta). The discussions were completed at the end of the day without any agreement. Babel Fish translation New November 9, 2004
• Common Message from 4th Preparatory Meeting for ITER Decision Making All Parties were greatly encouraged by the positive atmosphere and expressed their optimism that the process was now proceeding effectively towards a fruitful conclusion among the six Parties in the near future. New November 9, 2004
• Japan, EU fail to reach accord on fusion reactor site Japan and the European Union failed to iron out their differences Tuesday over the location to host a global nuclear fusion project during the latest round of talks in Vienna with four other countries participating. New November 9, 2004
• Nuclear fusion negotiations go critical (New Scientist) The troubled negotiations over whether to build the world's largest nuclear fusion facility in France or Japan have finally come to a head. New November 9, 2004
• EU Threatens to Go It Alone on Nuclear Fusion (Reuters Nov. 9, 2004) - The European Union warned on Tuesday it may go ahead and build the world's first nuclear fusion reactor with whatever partners it can find if there is no global deal to put the project in France at talks in Vienna.New November 9, 2004
• Japan denies report on France winning bid for nuke fusion project (Kyodo News November 9, 11:52 AM ) Yasufumi Tanahashi, minister in charge of education, science and technology, told a news conference that the report "lacks foundation," indicating that there has been no change in Japan's policy to make efforts to host the ITER project. "The report is regrettable as it only brought confusion," he said, adding that he had "never" heard of Japan giving up on the bid as reported. New November 9, 2004
• Japan Pushes for Fusion Project, Questions EU Optimism France will Win TOKYO, Nov 9 (AFP) - Japan is still pushing to host a revolutionary nuclear energy reactor, a Japanese official said Tuesday, questioning the European Union's optimism that France would be the site of the multibillion dollar project.  "We do not understand why the EU suddenly said what they said. Maybe that's only their optimistic speculation. Maybe that's a negotiation technique," an official at Japan's science and technology ministry told AFP. New November 9, 2004
• Fusion reactor should be built in Rokkasho-mura in northern Japan. (AFX) -A Japanese official at the talks said that Tokyo was adamant in its view that the reactor should be built in Rokkasho-mura in northern Japan. 'We see no reason to change our position,' said Satoru Ohtaki, director of nuclear fusion at the Japanese ministry of science and technology. 'We shall put an extremely generous offer on the table' to obtain the right to build the reactor in Japan, he said.New November 8, 2004
• EU confident over fusion project Europe could be about to win the race to host Iter, the world's biggest nuclear fusion reactor. Other sources report that the discussions are ongoing and have not reached final agreement. New November 8, 2004
• France to host nuclear fusion project - EU source 08 Nov 2004 11:11 ET BRUSSELS, Nov 8 (Reuters) - France will host a major global nuclear fusion project after Japan gave up its bid to host the $12 billion International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in return for compensation, an EU source said on Monday.Negotiators from the six members of the ITER project -- the European Union, United States, South Korea, Japan, Russia and China -- are meeting in Vienna to seek a deal. Washington has previously backed Tokyo in what was seen as a payback for French opposition to the Iraq war."The agreement foresees Iter in Cadarache," the source said. "They are preparing an agreement under which the Japanese would receive something." Other sources report that the discussions are ongoing and have not reached final agreement. New November 8, 2004
• The Director General of the EU Research Directorate, A. Mitsos, held a meeting of European fusion Lab Directors on Friday November 5th in Brussels. Details are not available on the status of the European/Japanese negotiations on the ITER site. However, it has been stated that the EU favors a six party agreement, and a decision was hoped for by/at the November 25 Council of Ministers meeting. New November 6, 2004
• The 20 th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference was heldat Vilamoura Portugal. Dr. W. Burkart, opened the conference on behalf of the IAEA. He described the staus of the current ITER work, and noted that there is "still hope for a settlement (of the ITER site decision) before the end of the year. " A number of the Overview and Summary presentations are available: Updated November 6, 2004
• Japan, EU, others to discuss nuclear fusion reactor next week . Japan, the European Union and four other countries will hold a deputy ministerial meeting in Vienna next week to discuss wherethey will build the world's first prototype nuclear fusion reactor, Japan's science ministry said Tuesday. NEW November 2, 2004
• The Vice Ministers of the six ITER parties are expected to meet on Monday and Tuesday, November 8-9 at the IAEA in Vienna to discuss resolution of the ITER construction site deadlock. This meeting is to be followed by the European Council of Ministers meeting on November 25 where they are to make a decision on whether to continue along the six party path or to go forward without all six parties. NEW October 29, 2004
• France Seeks India's Participation in ITER- New Delhi, Oct. 27: France has sought India's participation in the multi-billion-dollar International Thermonuclear Reactor project which aims to use fusion energy for peaceful purposes. NEW October 27, 2004
• Two party discussions between Europe and Japan are ongoing with the goal of making progress on the ITER site decision. US ITER Project holds organizational and activities kick-off meeting at Princeton. NEW October 19, 2004
• Crude oil in New York rose to a record $53.31 a barrel on Friday October 8th - Does anyone care? At this level one might think there would be an interest in energy research. NEW October 8, 2004
• Presidential Candidates Speak Out on Science Policies Physics Today October 4, 2004 NEW October 4, 2004
• Japan regrets French minister's comments on nuclear project TOKYO (AFP) - A Japanese official said he regretted a French minister's suggestion that France is going to host a revolutionary nuclear energy project while the site is still in dispute. NEW October 1, 2004
• France's minister for research on Thursday expressed optimism that his country would win the battle with Japan, the United States and South Korea for the siting of a high-tech nuclear fusion research project. CADARACHE, France, Oct 1 (AFP) Tocqueville Connection NEW October 1, 2004
• Europe May Break Out of ITER Partnership CAMBRIDGE,U.K.&emdash;Europe is ready to scrap the planned collaboration on what is supposed to be a global fusion reactor. Science October 1, 2004 NEW September 30, 2004
• EU in push for support on nuclear fusion reactor (Reuters Sidney Morning Herald September 26, 2004) EU ministers have agreed to try to win broad international support for a plan to build a futuristic nuclear reactor in France, even though several EU countries appeared ready to do it without the United States. The ministers are expected to take a decision on November 25 on which path to take on ITER. NEW September 25, 2004
• E.U. Tensions Surface Over Radical Nuclear Project AFP: 9/24/2004 BRUSSELS, Sept 24 (AFP) - The European Union reaffirmed its desire Friday to get broad international backing for a revolutionary nuclear energy project, the subject of rival bids from France and Japan. But sources said the EU was also growing anxious about delays to choosing a site for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), and might in the last resort go ahead at its own location. NEW September 24, 2004
• ITER-Presidency Conclusions The Council had an exchange of views on the line to take in the international negotiations on ITER, on the basis of information from the Commission. The Commission is encouraged to pursue actively these negotiations with a view to enabling the Council at its session of 25/26 November 2004, to reach agreement on the main elements of the future international agreement on ITER. NEW September 24, 2004
• Dutch Presidency stresses the wish for international agreement on ITER in november, 24-09-2004, Press release, Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry and Research. In the Competitiveness Council of 24th September EU-ministers gave a strong signal on the line to take in the international negotiations on ITER, the international thermonuclear reactor project. Following the exchange of views, the Dutch Presidency (Maria van der Hoeven, Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science) concluded that the Commission is encouraged to pursue actively the international negotiations with a view to enabling the Council to reach agreement on the main elements of the future international agreement. The Competitiveness Council will have its next session on 25/26 November 2004, where it aims to arrive at an appropriate decision.NEW September 24, 2004
• EU warns of breakaway plans on nuclear project AFP 24 September 2004 The European Union is pushing increasingly hard for an accord on the site for a landmark nuclear energy project, while treading carefully to avoid a fallout with global partners on the plans, notably Japan. But in a sign of the growing tension over the decision, long-time chief EU negotiator Philippe Busquin has warned the EU should start to study the possibility of launching its own project, diplomats say. NEW September 24, 2004
• Japan sticks to six-party framework for nuclear fusion project TOKYO, (AFP) - Japan is sticking to a six-party framework to build the world's first prototype nuclear fusion reactor even if the European Union (news - web sites) opts to push ahead with its own project, a Japanese official said. NEW September 24, 2004
• European Commission proposes that the ITER proceed in France without Japan and the US The Commission estimates that that the EU can advance alone to establish the thermonuclear reactor experimental Iter in Cadarache. France promises to double its contribution, to 914 million euro. NEW September 22, 2004
• European Commissioner designate for Science and Research responds to questions from Ministers. Asked whether he would support the current European position in the ongoing negotiations surrounding a site for ITER, Mr Potocnik said: 'I intend to firmly pursue the line taken by the Commission so far.' He argues that building ITER in Cadarache would be the best way of ensuring the project's success, and said that he would consider it a 'major defeat' if it proved impossible for all partners involved in ITER to agree on the site. 'Building ITER at Cadarache is not only very important for European research,' Mr Potocnik stressed. 'Cadarache is also the best site in international comparison based on objective criteria. For these two reasons, our first objective must be to ensure agreement on Cadarache.' If that fails, he suggests that the EU could consider building the reactor in Cadarache anyway, in cooperation with those partners who are willing to be involved, but described this course of action as 'the very last resort'. Transcript NEW September 22, 2004
• European Council of Ministers meeting on September 24 will exchange views on possible scenarios and on the line to take in the ITER international agreement with possible conclusions. NEW September 20, 2004
• Bush and Kerry offer their views on Science. including Energy and ITER. Science September 16, 2004 NEW September 15, 2004
• Bush and Kerry respond to questions on Science , fusion and ITER. Nature September 16, 2004 NEW September 15, 2004
• ITER likely to be sited in France according to Mr. Busquin outgoing EU Research Commissioner. Article from Cordis-EU Commission News Service - It appears that a solution to the ITER siting impasse may be in sight. After months of wrangling over whether the reactor should be based in Europe or Japan, there has been some movement on the part of the Japanese, according to Mr Busquin. It is now likely that the reactor itself will be based in France, while materials research will be conducted in Japan. Mr Busquin will present a paper to his colleagues in the Commission outlining the situation on 8 September. Japanese officials deny any change in their negotiating position. NEW September 3, 2004
• ITER Impasse Illustrates the Challenge of Site Selection The more partners in a project, the more resources available, but the more complicated decision making becomes. "We are blessed by having at least one. We are cursed by having more than one," says Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory's Ned Sauthoff about the site candidates for ITER, for which he is the US planning Officer. Physics Today August 2004 NEW August 2, 2004
• US to pin its nuclear fusion hopes on ITER Despite continuing international deadlock over where to base the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER), the United States' Department of Energy (DOE) is set to cancel work on a six year old national nuclear fusion project. NEW August 2, 2004
• US to halt nuclear fusion project Amidst a prolonged stalemate over where to build the world's largest nuclear fusion facility, the US is halting work on a homegrown fusion project. The decision caused concern among researchers at a fusion meeting earlier this week. NewScientist.com NEW July 30, 2004
• FESAC ITER Deadline Passes The July 2004 "deadline" for a decision on ITER construction set two years ago by the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) passes as the ITER negotiations remain deadlocked. FESAC had recommended that "If ITER does not move forward, then FIRE should be advanced as a U.S.-based burning plasma experiment with strong encouragement of international participation." NEW July 29, 2004
• Nuclear fusion reactor Japan and the EU should forget their national pride. This is not the time for turning such an important energy project into a bitter battle of national pride. The Asahi Shimbun, July 28 Posted July 30, 2004
• Bush Administration's Approach to Climate Change Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham describes the approach in Science Magazine July 30, 2004. NEW July 29, 2004
• FESAC receives status reports on fusion program and FESAC panel on priorities. NEW July 29, 2004
• ORNL snares prime fusion energy project U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced Tuesday that the U.S. project office for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor will be at Princeton, N.J. The Princeton/ORNL team was selected to run the office, which will oversee procurement of major components for the prototype fusion reactor and assign U.S. scientists and engineers to work on the giant project. NEW July 14, 2004
• U.S. ITER Project Office will be Located at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that the U.S. project office for ITER, a major international fusion experiment, will be located at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL).The U.S. ITER Project Office at PPPL will be responsible for project management of U.S. activities to support construction of this international research facility. These will include securing technical assistance from the U.S. fusion community; procuring and shipping U.S. hardware contributions; arranging for U.S. personnel to work abroad at the ITER site; representing the U.S. with the international ITER organization on construction and preparation for ITER operations; and coordinating and integrating the U.S. fusion community’s ITER project activities with the international ITER project. NEW July 13, 2004
• ITER Discussion by European Council delayed until late September Turning her attention to the subject of ITER, Ms van der Hoeven told CORDIS News, "The situation is that we will proceed following the ordinary Community procedure. What happens after that will depend really on whether our American and Japanese friends are going to say something more than they have said until now." All the ministers, she said, expressed a wish to put the matter on the agenda for the Council meeting of 24 September. NEW July 9, 2004
• Deadlock in ITER talks must end The discussion between Japan and the European Union over where to construct the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) seems to have reached a standstill.The development of a single ITER costs 1.3 trillion yen. As several reactors must be constructed before they can begin to provide energy, no country can afford to finance the project on its own. More talks should be scheduled to ensure that a decision on the location for the project is made.NEW July 6, 2004
• Nuclear fusion decision 'urgent' The countries planning to build Iter, the world's biggest nuclear fusion reactor, must choose a site urgently, a Russian scientist says. Professor Yevgeny Velikov, who has been working on nuclear fusion since 1958, said it was important to decide the site in the next three months.The countries of the Iter Consortium have been deadlockedfor more than six months over whether to build the reactor in France or Japan. NEW July 2, 2004
• Crunch Time Again on Fusion Project A $10 billion effort to harness energy from nuclear fusion was teetering on a knife edge earlier this week after another deadlocked meeting of its six international partners. The issue may soon come to a head. The U.S. delegation is said to be pressing for a decision by the end of June. NEW June 25, 2004
• Japan-EU summit in Tokyo to focus on enlargement, investment Japanese and European leaders meet in Tokyo on Tuesday (June 22) for an annual summit that will focus on economic cooperation, as Japan is achieving the strongest growth among the world's top seven industrialized nations.But two topics may overshadow the agenda: Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system, a potential rival to the US GPS network, and above all, the standoff over the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project. EU Business June 20 NEW June 21, 2004
• Decision on site for fusion reactor put off again VIENNA (Kyodo) The European Union and four other nations failed Friday to forge an accord on whether to build the world's first prototype nuclear fusion reactor in France or Japan. Japan Times NEW June 19, 2004
• Common Message from 3rd Preparatory Meeting for ITER Decision Making (IAEA Vienna, 18 June 2004) Delegations from China, European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States met at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna on 18 June 2004 to advance the ITER negotiations. The two potential Host Parties, European Union and Japan, presented their positions, taking account of recent bilateral discussions on a broader approach to realising fusion energy. The parties noted that the contents of these offers were essentially symmetrical and showed a readiness of each of the potential Host Parties to contribute significantly to the realisation of elements of the Broader Approach other than ITER in addition to their contributions to ITER itself. All Parties stressed the urgency of reaching a rapid resolution of the siting issue so as to move forward to implementation of ITER in a framework of international collaboration. NEW June 18, 2004
• EU prepares strategy to secure ITER for Europe EU Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin appealed to the media on 16 June to 'spread the word' that 'Europe is best' to host the international thermonucelar experimental reactor (ITER).NEW June 17, 2004
• EU ready to match Japanese offer to host ITER project: EU source Ministers and senior EU research officials meeting in Brussels on Monday gave the European Commission their green light to increase its offer in order to break a deadlock with Japan over who will host the project, the source said. NEW June 15, 2004
• Bush backs Japan ITER bid SEA ISLAND, Ga. (Kyodo) U.S. President George W. Bush told Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday that he continues to support Japan's bid to host an international nuclear reactor project, Japanese officials said. Chirac tells Koizumi EU supports France's proposal. NEW June 12, 2004
• The House Appropriation Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development marked up its version of the FY05 Energy and Water appropriations bill.   DOE science programs are funded at $3.6 billion, an increase of $168.2 million over the budget request and $168.6 million above fiscal year 2004.  Fusion energy research is funded at $276.1 million, $12 million above the request. In other related areas, it is believed that the Subcommittee allocated full construction funding for the NIF project, but other funding details are sketchy. It is expected that the full House Committee on Appropriations will mark up the bill June 15 or 16.  Action on the Senate side is currently not scheduled and may not take place for at least a couple of weeks. NEW June 10, 2004
• A meeting of Vice-Science Ministers of the ITER Parties is tentatively scheduled for June 18 in Vienna to receive the enhanced Japanese proposal to host ITER at Rokkasho, and to continue discussions aimed at breaking the deadlock on proceeding with the ITER project. If successful, then a meeting at the Ministerial level could be held to decide on a site for ITER construction, cost sharing arrangements, selection of the ITER Director General and approval of a Joint implementing Agreement. Posted June 10, 2004
• Japan May Up Ante for ITER TOKYO--Japan may significantly increase its contribution to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in a bid to land the stalled project, according to news reports in Japan. Officials are discussing boosting the nation's contribution from about 48% to as much as 65% of the total $10 billion construction and operating cost, the reports suggest. Government officials, however, declined to confirm the reports for Science.The partners can't agree on where to build the reactor. The European Union, Russia, and China favor a site in Cadarache, France, whereas the United States, South Korea, and Japan back Rokkasho, Japan. Another meeting is planned later this month. SCIENCE, V 304, p 1427,June 4, 2004 New, June 3, 2004
• Japanese Government hopes more money will secure ITER project (Tokyo-Daily Yomiuri) The government intends to increase its contribution to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project by 50 billion yen if Japan is selected as the host nation for the project, according to a government source. The decision is seen as having been taken to counter the European Union, which selected the southern French town Cadarache as its candidate site, and which also plans to increase its contribution to the project. New, May 27, 2004
• Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda is due to discuss a proposal to pay an extra 895 million dollars to ensure construction of the world's first prototype nuclear fusion reactor happens in Japan with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. AFP New, May 26, 2004
• Japan ups bid for fusion reactor site CNN- TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Tokyo would boost its investment in the world's first large-scale nuclear fusion plant by almost U.S. $1 billion if the project's sponsors build the reactor in Japan, a newspaper reported Wednesday. The new bid would correspond to Japan financing 70% of the estimated $5B cost of ITER. New, May 26, 2004
• Japan ready to pay 895 million dollars more to host ITER project: according to EU Business News and Agency French Press. The initiative is a bid to break the deadlock between Japan and the European Union over the venue of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, the evening edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said. A second article by Kyodo Express reports Japan will pay 50% (only a 2% increase) as a host burden. New, May 26, 2004
• EU sure of nuclear prize Europe seems to be still confident of winning a coveted nuclear fusion project. EUPolitix. New, May 25, 2004
• Europe is still confident that it will be chosen to host ITER, the world's biggest nuclear fusion reactor. Philippe Busquin, the EU's research commissioner, told gathered experts the volume of Europe's fusion research would double from 2007 to 2013. BBC New, May 23, 2004
• "Sometimes I feel like giving up," says Busquin on limited EU research budget as preparations begin for FP7 which must contain funds for ITER construction. The Commissioner is, however, hoping that funding will not be so restricted under FP7. The Commission's financial perspectives for 2007 to 2013 propose that the percentage of the EU's budget channelled into research increased from seven per cent to 16 per cent. April 28, 2004 Posted, May 23, 2004
• Minutes of the Council of European Ministers Meeting May 17-18. The Council has taken note of information provided by Commissioner BUSQUIN on the state of play of the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) project and invited the Commission to report to the Council on the ongoing international negotiations on the file at its session in September.New, May 14, 2004
• Information from the Commission on the state of play of ITER is on the final agenda (released May 13, 2004) for the next European Council of Research Ministers meeting scheduled for 17&endash;18 May 2004. ITER is is now listed for discussion only, no conclusions are scheduled. Press conference after the meeting. New, May 14, 2004
• Preparation for the next European Council of Research Ministers meeting scheduled for 17&endash;18 May 2004 includes a discussion of ITER. New, May 15, 2004
• PARIS, May 4 (Kyodo) - Visiting Japanese economic minister Shoichi Nakagawa and a French minister agreed Monday on the need to cooperate in an international nuclear project in which the two countries are competing to host the site of the project, Japanese government officials said. Nakagawa and Patrick Devedjian, French minister in charge of industry, had talks on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project. "The ITER doesn't belong to Japan or France. It is important that we promptly proceed with the project for the interest of humanity," Nakagawa was quoted as telling Devedjian. Japan, the European Union, the United States, Russia, China and South Korea have been discussing whether the world's first sustained nuclear fusion reactor should be situated in Japan or France. Nakagawa also held talks with French Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and agreed that the two countries should cooperate further on the protection of intellectual property in developing countries, the officials said. Kyodo News/ Fusion Power Associates. New, May 4, 2004
• ITER Decision on the provisional Agenda for the next European Council of Research Ministers meeting scheduled for 17&endash;18 May 2004. ITER-Decision for Conclusion of International agreement, Decision for the creation of a European legal entity and Policy debate. An informal meeting of EU Competitiveness Ministers (Internal Market, Industry and Research) was held beginning April 25. The Meeting, was attended by relevant EU Commissioners and Ministers from 31 countries together with international business leaders and leaders in science and research, focused on how Europe can stay competitive in a global market and realise its true innovation potential. New, May 3, 2004
• ITER, Fusion for Humanity Clarification to Nature by Sir David King, April 28, 2004 New, April 28, 2004
• New Nukes at NIF? Nature April 28, 2004 New, April 28, 2004
• Fast Forward to Fusion Comment and Analysis in New Scientist by Sir David King, April 10, 2004 New, April 21, 2004
• EU asks Korean support in locating fusion project - JoongAng Daily, April 13, 2004 -The European Union wants Korea's support in its bid to locate the ITER, or international thermonuclear experimental reactor, in France, says Philippe Busquin, Commissioner for Research at the European Commission. New, April 13, 2004
• Cheney to Promote Nuke Reactors to China- WASHINGTON (AP) April 10, 2004 -- On a trip to China next week (April 12-14) to talk about high-stakes issues like terrorism and North Korea, Vice President Dick Cheney will have another task -- making a pitch for Westinghouse's U.S. nuclear power technology.Posted, April 13, 2004
• Busquin uses Beijing speech to promote EU-China S&T cooperation [Date: 2004-04-08] Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin emphasised the benefits to both Europe and China of increased cooperation in science and technology (S&T), in a speech delivered at Tsinghua University in Beijing on 8 April.Posted, April 13, 2004
• China, EU agree to deepen sci-tech cooperation.  BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Xu Guanhua and European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin agreed here Wednesday that China and the European Union (EU) will deepen their cooperation in space technologies, hydrogen energy development, fusion development and bio-technologies.New, April 7, 2004
• EU Commissioner Busquin in China to strengthen co-operation in science and technology. During the visit to China, Commissioner Busquin will also discuss the state of play of negotiations on the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) research project on nuclear fusion energy. The Commission is actively contributing to these discussions in order to reach consensus for ITER in Europe. New, April 6, 2004
• Stalemate Casts Pall Over Beleaguered Fusion Project SCIENCE, April 2, 2004 New, April 2, 2004
• European Union Behind ITER In Cadarache Press Release by French Minister of Research C Haignere on March 11. Haignere has been replaced by François d' Aubert, in French governmrent reorganization announced on April 1. Posted, April 3, 2004
• The European Council met in Brussels on 25/26 March 2004 for its annual meeting on the Lisbon Strategy and the economic, social and environmental situation in the Union. The Presidency Conclusions noted that the Council was: “Reaffirming the unanimous support for the European offer, the European Council invites the Commission to progress negotiations on the ITER project with a view to its rapid commencement at the European candidate site.” Posted, April 3, 2004
• Partners fail to find common ground for fusion project A technical assessment intended to break a stalemate over where to site the facility has itself ended in deadlock,with the six partners blaming each other for the lack of progress. Nature March 25.New, March 24, 2004
• Letters to Nature on ITER “Fusion: Bush agrees it’s time to end the impasse” Burt Richter, and “Fusion: choose Japan for international balance” Michael Mauel in Nature March 25.New, March 24, 2004
• The French Academy of Sciences will hold a meeting to discuss controlled fusion and ITER on Saturday, March 27, 2004.
• Japanese and Europeans still at a Dead End with ITER Site Selection March 23 -Japan and the European Commission completed Tuesday in Tokyo of the bilateral discussions on the discussed subject of the experiment of nuclear fusion ITER without managing to leave the dead end, but making the report of a necessary continuation of the dialogue in the common interest. "A decision must be made quickly" according to Achilleas Mitsos, the general manager responsible for Research at the European Commission. New, March 23, 2004
• The ITER Negotiations Technical Experts Working Group met in Vienna on March 12-13 and has completed its analysis and discussion of the site characteristics of the Rokassho Japan and Cadarache France sites for constructing ITER. Reports are now being forwarded to the respective govenments. The Group members share a sense of urgency in resolving the site selection within a few weeks. A draft Joint Implementing Agreement has been developed and awaits resolution on the form in which the parties provide their committment to the ITER construction project. After site selection, key personnell such as Director General and Deputies can be chosen.New, March 20, 2004
• India to participate in fusion PTI[ FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2004 03:44:29 PM ]NEW DELHI : India is considering participation in an international project on fusion research, an area which is being touted as the future technology to meet growing energy demands of the world, officials said on Friday.Posted, April 13, 2004
• A European delegation in Tokyo to discuss ITER again A delegation of the European Commission began Friday a five day visit in Tokyo to discuss again with the Japanese experts the disputed site of ITER, the experiment of nuclear fusion.New, March 19, 2004
• EU will not Share ITER France is not prepared to share a coveted nuclear fusion project with anyone else, it emerged on Thursday. At a Brussels meeting of EU research ministers (provisional minutes), commissioner Philippe Busquin was anxious to dispel rumours that Paris might share the international thermonuclear reactor (ITER) with Japan, putting an end to months of deadlock over a final decision. New, March 11, 2004
• Secretary Abraham's Testimony to House Appropriations Committee on March 11. New, March 11, 2004
• DOE Plans Termination of All Fusion Technology Efforts According to the U.S. Department of Energy's FY 2005 budget submission to Congress, and a subsequent clarifying letter from DOE Office of Science Director Raymond Orbach, the Department plans to terminate all its efforts on Fusion Technology by September 30 of this year. March 10, 2004,Posted March 21, 2004
• Time to choose the right site for a fusion reactor, Europe is ready, willing and able to host the ITER, so let’s get on and meet the challenge. Prof. Vandenplas, Nature March 11, 2004.New, March 10, 2004
• European Council of Research Ministers to meet on March 11 in Brussels. Discussions on the ITER negotiation status and potential broadening of the ITER program are likely. A meeting of technical experts from all ITER parties will take place in Vienna on March 12, 13 to continue discussions leading to a decision on the site for ITER construction at a meeting at the Ministerial level later in March. New, March 10, 2004
• A vast majority of the Directors of French Laboratories and Leaders of Research Groups have announced their resignations from adminstrative positions.This is part of a nation wide movement to "Save Research" in the face of a science budget dispute with the French government. LeMonde New, March 9, 2004
• Decision on ITER fusion project site put off to March New, March 9, 2004
• Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee Panel on Fusion Priorities seeks community input The FESAC panel has also drafted some decision criteria to help guide the process for dealing with priorities. The website contains the panel's current drafts on these topics and invites community comments. New, March 5, 2004
• Senator Domenici introduces lean Energy Bill expected to cost approximately 50% of the previous energy bill while achieving most of its objectives. The fusion section of S 2095 authorizes a significant increase in the DOE office of Science and fusion program budgets. The section on fusion (p. 570-579) also supports U. S. participation in ITER, and calls for a plan to implement FIRE, as a domestic burning plasma experiment, if the construction of ITER is found to be unlikely or infeasible.New, February 18, 2004
• Sir David King's Plenary Lecture Slides (final version) and Transcript at the AAAS 2004 Annual meeting calls for actions to mitigate Global Warming including development of fusion energy (1.4 MB, pdf). Climate Change Science: Adapt, Mitigate, or Ignore? Sir David King in Science January 9, 2004. United Kingdom Global Climate modeling activities can be found at Hadley Center for Climate Prediction and Research New, February 14, 2004
• Office of Science Plans for FY 2005 and Beyond Unvieled by Ray Orbach
  • Office of Science Strategic Plan February 12, 2004 Posted, February 17, 2004
  • Orbach Testimony to House Science Committee on FY 2005 budget request. February 11, 2004 Posted, February 17, 2004
• President's Budget for FY 2005 Released
  • President's FY 2005 budget proposes $264M for fusion, flat from FY 2004 The budget includes $38.0 million for the Department to prepare for participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program, a burning plasma physics experiment that is an essential next step toward eventually developing fusion as a commercially viable energy source. New, February 2, 2004
  • DOE Overview of FY05 Budgets 5 MB (pdf) New, February 2, 2004
  • Office of Science Overview of FY05 Budgets 64 kB (pdf) New, February 2, 2004
  • Office of Science FY05 Budget Details including Fusion Energy Sciences Program 900 kB (pdf) New, February 2, 2004
• Countdown to a Decision on ITER on Hold
  • ITER Site Decision Deferred- The ITER parties failed to reach a consensus on the site for ITER at the December 20, 2003 Ministerial Meeting in Washington, DC. The parties were deadlocked with Japan, Korea and the US supporting the Japanese site, and Europe, Russia and China supporting the European site. The decision is now deferred until March 2004.
    • Choose Me, Japan and France Say as They Court Big Fusion Project Officials from six countries participating in the project are to meet in March to try to decide between Rokkasho and Cadarache, in southern France, even as talks have become increasingly tinged with politics. New York Times New, March 9, 2004
    • ITER project is in danger of collapse The failure to decide on a site for an international nuclear fusion project at a meeting in Vienna late last month by the six parties involved has left the $12 billion project in danger of collapse."Unless the matter is resolved through the U.S. presidential election (in November), the project could collapse," said a lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.Kyodo News, March 2, 2004 New, March 2, 2004
    • Koizumi, French FM discuss Iraqi reconstruction Referring to the rivalry between Japan and France concerning which country will host a nuclear fusion reactor for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, Koizumi and de Villepin agreed bilateral ties can constitute both competition and cooperation. China View, March 2, 2004 New, March 2, 2004
    • Time for Japan to shine? Talks last weekend on choosing a site for ITER, the fusion project, ended in stalemate. But ITER deserves to proceed, and Japan's commitment to it is strongest.New, February 26, 2004
    • ITER project partners to continue talking despite lack of progressThe six partners in the ITER nuclear fusion project have agreed to continue talks together in March, despite the lack of progress in breaking the deadlock over the choice of site at a weekend meeting, a Japanese government source said.New, February 24, 2004
    • No end in sight for nuclear squabble The decision on a site for a controversial nuclear fusion project has been delayed by a further three weeks, it emerged this weekend.A technical meeting on ITER (the international thermonuclear reactor) was held in Vienna on Saturday but experts left having decided that another get together will be necessary on March 12 and 13, in the same city. EU Politix New, February 23, 2004
    • Final ITER decision pencilled in for March A spokesperson for the European Commission told CORDIS News that a final meeting aimed at reaching a decision was also planned for March, but that arrangements still need to be made. New, February 23, 2004
    • Common Message from 2nd Preparatory Meeting for Ministerial Meeting for ITER: Delegations from China, European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States met at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna on 21 February, 2004 to advance the ITER negotiations.The delegations recognised the intensive work done following the Ministerial Meeting for ITER that took place on 20th December 2003. The delegations agreed to convene a meeting of experts in early March for a joint appreciation in common terms of a number of key topics, in order to bring the further technical analysis to completion. ITER Parties will continue their discussions including further exploration of a broader project approach to fusion power. All delegations reaffirmed their commitment to the consensual process towards joint implementation of ITER. (IAEA Vienna, 21 February 2004) New, February 22, 2004
    • Decision on site for fusion project is put off again The six parties involved in an international nuclear fusion project have again failed to decide on either a French or Japanese venue for the $12 billion program. The decision, pending since December, may now come in March. Japan Times, February 23, 2004 New, February 22, 2004
    • Decision on ITER fusion project site put off to March Sunday, February 22, 2004 at 13:43 JST VIENNA - Six member countries to an international nuclear fusion project on Saturday again failed to decide on either a French or Japanese venue for the $12 billion, 30-year program, putting a decision off to a meeting that might be held in March.Senior officials of the parties to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project ended their one-day meeting in Vienna without resolving the question pending since December, a Japanese negotiator said. Japan Today New, February 22, 2004
    • Thermonuclear reactor may begin to be built 2004 Construction of what may become the world's first-ever thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) may begin already this year, Russian Atomic Energy Ministry spokesman Nikolai Shingaryov said on the eve of another working meeting of delegates from the ITER project member-states, beginning in Vienna on Saturday.Tass New, February 21, 2004
    • France and Japan: who will place nuclear reactor on its territory? Pravda New, February 21, 2004
    • The ITER parties held informal closed-door discussions in Vienna on Friday. The talks will continue on Saturday. The Australian-AFP February 21, 2004 New, February 20, 2004
    • Japan not deserting six-party cooperation over nuclear fusion plan: Japan on Friday denied reports it planned to split from an international consortium building a multi-billion dollar nuclear fusion reactor, saying it remained fully committed to the stalled six-party project.Agency French Presse Feb 20, 2004 New, February 20, 2004
    • Nuclear Talks in Austria International representatives will meet in Vienna on Saturday to discuss a controversial nuclear fusion plan. EU Politix, Feb 20, 2004 New, February 20, 2004
    • Three compromise plans eyed for fusion project site A team of experts on an international nuclear fusion project has drawn up three compromise proposals in a bid to resolve the row over whether Japan or France will host the $12 billion, 30-year energy project, Japanese government sources said. Japan Times, Feb 20, 2004 New, February 19, 2004
    • Three Compromise Plans Eyed for Nuke Fusion Site A meeting of the Science Ministers of the ITER parties will take place in Vienna, February 21 to discuss proposals for moving forward with a broadened ITER program, and to review the results of technical analyses of the two proposed ITER sites. Posted, February 18, 2004
    • ITER Update Though progress is reportedly being made, the planned resolution meeting is now most likely in March at the earliest. Fusion Power Associates Fusion Program Note-FPN04-09 Posted, February 14, 2004
    • ITER - Compromise Deal Hinges on a Graceful Runner-Up A face-saving compromise is beginning to take shape in the battle between the European Union and Japan to host the $5 billion International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor(ITER). But it rests on one side agreeing to accept a consolation prize. Science, February 13, 2004 Posted, February 13, 2004
    • At the time of the conference with UNO on Liberia, the French Foreign Minister, Domenica de Villepin, met his American counterpart, Colin Powell The principal subjects tackled were the Côte.d'ivoire, the possible implication of NATO in Iraq, Afghanistan, initiatives against proliferation and, also, the establishment of the research center on controlled nuclear fusion ITER. in LeMonde, February 7, 2004 Posted, February 9, 2004
    • Nuclear-fusion plan divides backers Japan and France are squaring off in a battle to host an international project to build an experimental nuclear fusion reactor, a technology proponents believe is the future of energy generation. in Daily Yomiuri February 5, 2004 Posted, February 8, 2004
    • Fusion meeting shelved as site decision slides Nature Feb 5, 2004 (The meeting at the Ministerial level has been delayed, but others continue.) New, February 4, 2004
      • A meeting at the Vice Ministerial level is said to be scheduled in late February (21?)to discuss progress on the ITER siting decision.
      • The next European Council of Research Ministers meeting is presently scheduled for March 11 in Brussels.
      • Meetings at the technical working level continue, representatives from all ITER parties met Jan 29-30 in Japan and developed internal reports summarizing their analyses of the questions raised at the Dec 20 Ministerial meeting. Bilateral meetings to discuss technical issues associated with ITER siting will be held in the Washington on February 10(US-JA) and February 11(US-EU).
    • Japan, U.S. share both risks and rewards by Howard H. Baker, US ambassador to Japan, Point of View in Asahi Shimbum January 12, 2004 New, February 5, 2004
    • Fusion Power: Bouillabaisse or Sushi critique on fusion cuisine by The Economist February 5, 2004 New, February 5, 2004
    • CERN with ITER by François of Rose an ambassador of France and former president of CERN (1958-1960),Original in French LeMonde Feb 3, 2004 New, February 4, 2004
    • Russia sticks to its guns, backs France for fusion reactor "France, the sole candidate from Europe, and Japan still have time to make their locations for ITER construction most attractive," Yevgeny Velikhov of the Russian Academy of Sciences told the ITAR-Tass news agency after the meeting. Japan Times Feb 4, 2004 Posted, February 5, 2004
    • European Fusion Program Leaders Respond to Japanese Ambassador to France Original submission that was published in LeMonde Jan 31, 2004 New, February 1, 2004
    • Chinese official to tour France's site for ITER project China's deputy science minister, Yan Hua-Liu, will visit France's proposed site for the future international energy project ITER, the ministry of research said here Monday. Agence France Presse New, January 29, 2004
    • China supports France in ITER project BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- China will support France as the site of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)project, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue here Thursday. New, January 29, 2004
    • US rebuffs Chirac's call to end China arms embargo The State Department said it viewed bans on arms sales to China by the United States and EU as complimentary, and did not agree they should be lifted. Agence France Presse New, January 29, 2004
    • ITER site contest counts down Another ministerial meeting is scheduled for late February when participants hope to agree on a site for the project. Daily Yomiuri New, January 29, 2004
    • US "could change" support for Japan on nuclear fusion project The United States "could change" its support for Japan's bid to host a massive nuclear fusion project if technical criteria work in favour of a rival French site, President George W. Bush's scientific advisor said here Thursday. "As more knowledge becames available, we expect our representatives from the Department of Energy to analyse it and if they come to a different conclusion, then I expect them to make a recommendation to the president based on the facts as they see them, " Marburger said. Space Daily/AFP Dr Claudie Haigneré, minister for research and new technologies met with Dr. John H. MARBURGER, scientific Adviser of American President George BUSH on January 29 in Paris. New, January 29, 2004
    • Japan to offer compromise on ITER fusion project, but only up to a point Technology minister Takeo Kawamura said Wednesday that Japan is ready to compromise in the battle to host an international nuclear fusion project -- but said it will stick to its position that the reactor itself should be based in Japan. Japan Times New, January 29, 2004
    • Japan confident of winning colossal nuclear fusion project EU Business New, January 28, 2004
    • Japan May Consider Sharing Fusion Project NewsDay New, January 28, 2004
    • “Now nuclear physicists in Russia and other countries participating in the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) project have an opportunity to offer technical solutions for building it(ITER) in two countries &endash; France and Japan.” TASS New, January 28, 2004
    • A working group consisting of members from each ITER party will meet in Naka, Japan January 29-30 to develop proposals for a "broadened program" as requested in the official communique from the December 20 Ministerial meeting. This is in preparation for a Ministerial level meeting in mid-February to decide on the locations for ITER construction and support activities. New, January 27, 2004
    • Let's Not Fight Over ITER by Hiroshi Hirabayashi, Japanese Ambassador to France in LeMonde New, January 23, 2004
    • Japan wants ITER data center in France, reactor in Japan Japan Times New, January 23, 2004
    • French Minister Seeks Spanish Support for ITER Energy Project French Research Minister Claudie Haignere headed to Spain on Wednesday to whip up support for the European Union's bid to host the ITER experimental nuclear fusion reactor project, diplomats said. EU Business January 21, 2004
    • South Korea Could Support French Site for Nuclear Fusion Project: French Minister South Korea could reconsider its position and support the choice of a French site for the international multi-billion dollar experimental nuclear fusion project ITER, said Haignere, minister for research. EU Business January 21, 2004
    • Japan, France Vying for Korea’s Nuclear Project France and Japan recently have sent high-ranking officials to South Korea, since it will play the key role in the selection of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) site which will begin construction in 2005 with an estimated cost of $10 billion. Korea Times January 20, 2004
    • Japanese minister draws blank in Moscow talks on nuclear fusion plant Yevgeny Velikhov, Russia's delegate to the international council that is to arbitrate between two the bids, said that Russian and Japanese officials meeting in Moscow had "decided to make the final decision at the next meeting of the ITER Council in Vienna in February," the ITAR-TASS news agency said. AFP January 17, 2004
    • Russia says 'no' to nuclear fusion plant in JapanRussia on Thursday declined Japanese pleas to back Tokyo's bid to host a disputed nuclear fusion reactor as the global contest for the multi-billion project threatened to hurt relations among the participants. Reuters January 15, 2004
    • Nuclear fusion row going critical The debate over whether to build the world's biggest nuclear fusion facility in France or Japan is going critical. The European Union says it could pull out of the international project and build its own, if the project goes to Japan. But the US has firmly backed Japan as its preferred site. New Scientist January 15, 2004
    • EU Says It Could Go It Alone On Fusion Reactor A European Commission spokesman said yesterday that the EU has the resources in money and scientific knowhow to build independently an experimental nuclear fusion reactor. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty January 15, 2004
    • Japan's science minister seeking support for nuclear fusion site Japan's science and technology minister Takeo Kawamura left Wednesday on a whirlwind tour of South Korea, Russia and China to drum up support for Japan's proposed site for a multi-billion dollar experimental nuclear fusion project, officials said. January 14, 2004
    • Paris urges EU to build fusion centre alone The French government has suggested that Europe should go ahead and build the world's biggest nuclear fusion research centre on its own - a move that threatens to tear apart a global scientific effort bringing together the US, China, Japan and the EU. January 14, 2004
    • US supports Japanese bid to host ITER as France urges Europe to go it alone CORDIS, the European Community's Research and Development Information Service. January 13, 2004
    • EU Says Feasible to Go It Alone on ITER Reactor Reuters Jan 13, 2004 January 13, 2004
    • France clings to Fusion Dreams Paris is demanding that Europe go ahead with plans to build a nuclear fusion plant,even if it misses out on international funding. January 13, 2004
    • Politics threatens to dominate nuclear fusion debate China View January 13, 2004
    • French Prime Minister Endangers ITER Negotiations to Solve Domestic Brain Drain Crisis According to an article in LeMonde "The government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin runs the risk of France becoming, in 10 or 15 years' time, absent or marginalised in [scientific] fields where Japan, the United States and later China and India will reign supreme." January 12, 2004
    • France says Europe could make ITER reactor itself Europe could build a disputed experimental nuclear fusion reactor on its own, if the multinational joint venture promoting it decided to give the contract to Japan, French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said on Monday. January 12, 2004
    • US backs Japanese site to host nuclear fusion project or PDF of AFP article Secretary Abraham is visiting Asia (Japan, China, Philippines and Australia). In a speech to the Japanese Keidanren (January 12, 2004) on Jan 9, Abraham strongly endorsed the Japanese site for ITER
    • ITER: Washington supports the Japanese candidature , "I am proud to affirm that the United States vigorously supports the construction of ITER in Japan." Secretary Abraham. LeMonde, Jan 9, 2004 January 9, 2004
    • EU slams US support for Japan to host nuclear fusion project , EU Business January 9, 2004
    • No Meeting of the Minds on Fusion Megaproject Science Jan 9, 2004 January 8, 2004
    • A working group consisting of members from each ITER party is meeting in Garching, Germany to develop proposals for a "broadened program" as requested in the official communique from the December 20 Ministerial meeting. January 8, 2004
    • Japan's proposed budget for JY 2004 (starting April 1, 2004) contains ~$25M for ITER promotion (~$4M in JY 2003) and ~$484M for continued construction of the Shinkansen to Aomori, the ITER site. Japanese Education Scientific Minister of State, Kawamura, will visit Korea, China and Russia in the middle of January to attract international support for siting the experimental reactor ITER at Rokkasho village in Aomori prefecture. also Reuters article January 8,2004
    • Canada Announces Withdrawal from ITER ITER Web Site January 8, 2004
    • Secretary Abraham Opening Remarks DOE web site or PDF of Remarks New, December 20, 2003
    • Joint Communique from the Ministerial Meeting for ITER New, December 20, 2003
    • Decision on nuclear fusion site put off Japan Times web site or PDF of article Posted, December 28, 2003
    • Communique from the French Minister of Research and New Technologies Google Translation New, December 20, 2003
    • Decision on the choice of the site for ITER reactor deferred LeMonde in French or English Translation New, December 20, 2003
    • Fusion Project Decision Delayed BBC web site or PDF of article New, December 20,2003
    • Decison on Site of Fusion Project Postponed Reuters web site or PDF of article New, December 20, 2003
    • Ministers delay decision on site for 10-billion-dollar nuclear fusion reactor AFP web site or PDF of article New, December 20,2003
  • Science Ministers from the ITER parties begin to gather in Washington for a meeting hosted by Secretary Abraham to decide the site for ITER, and initial the ITER Joint Implementing Agreement on Cost Sharing and nomination of a Director General for ITER. The meeting will start at 9:00 am at the Hyatt Regency Reston, VA. Some recent articles:
    • BBC December 19, 2003,Decision Day for Fusion Project Japan site said to be favored.(pdf) New, December 19, 2003
    • LeMonde December 18, 2003, Europe et Japon au coude-à-coude pour accueillir le réacteur ITER in French or English translation by Google , Parties said to be split between France and Japan (pdf) New, December 19, 2003
  • Common Message from Preparatory Meeting for Ministerial Meeting for ITER: Delegations from Canada, China, European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States met in Vienna on 4-5th December, 2003 to advance the ITER negotiations. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the IAEA; the meeting was moderated by IAEA Deputy Director General Werner Burkart. The delegations have achieved a major milestone in the ITER negotiations, namely, full coverage of cost-sharing for the two candidate sites in the European Union and Japan. The delegations are confident that this achievement provides the basis for reaching consensus on the preferred site at the Ministerial Meeting for ITER. The Ministerial Meeting for ITER will take place on 20th December, 2003 in Washington, DC.New, December 5, 2003
  • Europe and Japan Lock Horns in Battle to host ITER , Nature Dec 4, 2003, (300kB, pdf) New, December 3, 2003
  • December 4, 2003, P-2.5 meeting of Vice-Science Ministers of ITER Parties in Vienna, to agree on an international site for ITER, procurement allocation, cost sharing and a Director General. If successful, then:
  • December 20, 2003, Meeting at the Ministerial level in Washington, DC hosted by Secretary Abraham to initial the ITER Joint Implementing Agreement., If successful, then:
  • July 2003 ratification of ITER Joint Implementing Agreement by all parties, and construction is initiated.
• France Chosen as European site for ITER (Provisional Minutes of the Council of European Research Ministers-BRUSSELS) -The Council decided unanimously to amend the Commission's negotiating directives on the establishment of an international framework concerning the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) authorising the Commission to put forward Cadarache (France) as the European candidate site. The Council also decided unanimously that the ITER European legal entity will be located in Spain. The negotiations on ITER are currently being undertaken by Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States. The next meeting of the Parties to the ITER agreement will be held on 4 December. Three candidates for hosting this site, Cadarache (France), Clarington (Canada) and Rokkasho (Japan) have been put forward.
  • E.U. Puts France in Play for Fusion Sweepstakes Science, Dec 3,2003 (84kB, pdf)New, December 3, 2003
  • Council reaches a unanimous decision on Europe's ITER candidate site CORDIS, Nov 27, 2003
  • Europe chooses France for nuclear-reactor bid Nature Science Update, Nov 27, 2003
  • Provisional Minutes of Council of Ministers Meeting Nov 27,2003 (68kB, pdf)
  • EU Suggests French Site for Fusion Project Reuters Nov 26, 2003
  • The Commission is pleased with the agreement of the Council on ITER European Commission Press ReleaseNov 26, 2003
  • Fusion nucléaire: la France défendra l'UE pour le projet Iter france-info.coms, Nov 26, 2003
  • Europe puts France up for Reactor BBC 1, Nov 26, 2003
  • Iter: Nicole Fontaine se rÈjouit "infiniment" du choix du site de Cadarache Nov 26, 2003
  • L’EUROPE BIEN PLACEE DANS LA COMPETITION POUR ACCUEILLIR ITER French Ministry of Research and New Technologies Nov 26, 2003
  • La France défendra les couleurs de l'UE dans le projet ITER Le Monde Nov 26, 2003
• Spanish government offers to double host contribution for ITER site in Spain. Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar has informed the President of the European commission Romani Prodi that Spain will double its contribution to host ITER from the 450 million Euros agreed so far to 900 million Euros. A meeting of the European Council of Ministers will meet on November 27 to decide between Spain and France as the European site to be proposed for ITER. Provisional Translation.
• Secretary of Energy, Abraham released a prioritized list of DOE Science facilities for the next 20 years. ITER, a Next Step Spherical Torus and and ST based Component Test facility are the highest priority fusion projects.
• The Energy and Water Appropriations Conference Report has now been finalized with an FY 2004 budget of $264.1M.
  • Fusion energy sciences- The conference agreement includes $264,110,000 for fusion energy sciences, an increase of $6,800,000 over the budget request. The budget request proposed $12,000,000 for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), but did so by displacing $10,800,000 of ongoing domestic fusion research. The conference agreement provides $8,000,000 for ITER activities in fiscal year 2004, and restores $6,800,000 to domestic fusion research. The conferees strongly caution the Department against submitting any future budget requests for ITER that are funded at the expense of domestic research.
• An earlier version of the FY 2004 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Conference Report providesd $268.1M for the Fusion Energy Sciences program.. This is an increase of about $21M over the FY 2003 appropriation and $10.8M above the President's request for FY 2004.
• In anticipation of a decison to construct ITER, FESAC has been directed to reprioritize US Fusion Program activities . Charles Baker, Director of the Virtual Laboratory for Technology will Chair the panel, and will submit a report to DOE by July 2003.
• The Ottawa government has decided to let the Canadian bid for siting ITER die. Officials close to the discussions here said federal cabinet ministers fear huge cost overruns on the project. October 20, 2003. A decision on the Canadian ITER proposal expected at the October 2 meeting of high level Canadian cabinet members has been delayed. The debate is expected to continue. Canadian federal cabinet decision on whether Canada will move forward as a party on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is expected at a September 18 meeting. Decison delayed until October 2, 2003. New, September 19, 2003.The international partners on the project are expected to decide on a global location for the facility in October.New, October 10, 2003.
• The second High Level ITER negotiators meeting(P-2) was held in Vienna, Austria on October 9-10, 2003 with the goal to reach a decision on the site for ITER. Representatives from Europe, Japan, United States, Russia, Canada, China and South Korea attended. However, no decision was reached on an international site for ITER. No decision has yet been reached on the site for the proposed European site to be submitted to the international decision process. Some discussions were held on potential cost sharing arrangements. The ITER schedule calls for a decision on the ITER site, Director General and cost sharing arrangement by the end of December 2003. The next meeting, P-3, is scheduled to take place at the IAEA in Vienna in December, 2003. October 10, 2003.
• The National Research Council released a prepublication version of its report, Burning Plasma Bring a Star to Earth . This is the assessment of the U.S. Burning Plasma Program requested by DOE. September 26, 2003.
• The European Council of Ministers final minutes met on September 22 to hear a presentation of the King panel Report(see below). No decision was taken on the choice of Vandellos, Spain versus Cadarache, France as the European site for ITER (see page 25). The decision has been deferred until the November 27 meeting of the Council.Updated, Oct 1, 2003.
• An article in SCIENCE September 12, 2003 reports that the ITER SITE ANALYSIS GROUP headed by Sir David King has completed its report on the merits of the Cadarache, France and Vandellos, Spain as sites for ITER. The European Council of Ministers will receive the King Panel Report and meet on September 23, 2003 to make a decision on which one of the sites is to be put forward as the European site for ITER. The Science Ministers of all the ITER parties will meet in Vienna on October 9, 2003 to negotiate the international site for ITER, the Director General for the Project and allocation of costs among the parties. The ITER schedule calls for a decision on these issues by the end of calendar 2003. New, September 11, 2003.
• CH2M Hill sponsored an informal meeting on September 10-11, 2003 of Industrialists to be briefed on the prospects for the ITER and the candidate organizations and procurement approaches for the project, both internationally and nationally. Presentations Posted September 19, 2003.
• Future Direction of National Fusion Research (in Japan), a report prepared for MEXT by the Working Group on Fusion Research has been released. Posted, September 12, 2003.
• A Panel headed by Sir David King has been named to provide the European Commission with a recommendation on a preferred site for constructing ITER in Europe. The King Panel was asked to send a report to the Commission by the end of July for a discussion/decision by the European Council of Ministers at their September 23, 2003 meeting. A draft report has been written but has not yet been approved by the entire panel which will meet again in late August to finalize the report. An article in Nature August 6,2003 reports that the King Panel has chosen Vandellos in Spain above Cadarache in France. A followup article in Nature August 21, 2003 reports that the European ITER site decision is still open. August 20, 2003.
• Blackout 2003
  • Chaos and the Vulnerability of Megasystems. Fusion turbulence theory applied to Electric Grid Instability. pdf. New, August 20. 2003
  • IEEE-USA warned of problems, calls for new legislation.
  • A history of major US blackouts.
  • Technical Background Info from IEEE-USA.
  • North American Electric Reliability Council.
  • National Research Council warned of electric grid vulnerability..
  • DOE Responds to Northeast Blackout.
  • Richardson urges Congressional Action.
• Fusion People in the News
  • Professor Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith FRS, former Director of CERN, named Director of Culham Laboratory.
  • Mr. Bernard Bigot has been appointed High Commisioner of the CEA with responsibility for fusion effective July 31, 2003.
  • Prof. Rene Pellat, former High Commissioner of the CEA and strong advocate for fusion died accidently August 4, 2003
  • Prof. Minh-Quang Tran has been appointed Head of EFDA effective October 1, 2003
  • Dr. Robert Aymar , former Director of ITER, has been appointed Director of CERN effective January 1, 2004.
  • Dr. Yasuo Shimomura has been appointed Interim Project Leader of ITER International Team effective July, 2003.
  • Director General of ITER to be announced this fall.
• U.S. Congressional News
• Strong support for the DOE Office of Science and for fusion energy research at Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy Hearing. Secretary of Energy Abraham testimony. Dr. Hermann Grunder testimony Dr. Burt Richter testimony Dr. G. Wayne Clough testimony. Chair Lamar Alexander has co-sponsored an amendment of S-14, Energy PolictyAct of 2003 to increase the DOE Office of Science Budget from $3.3B in FY 2003 to $5.4 B in FY 2008. New, July 29, 2003.
• The House and SenateAppropriations Committes have marked up the the FY 2004 Appropriation bill for Fusion Energy Sciences and Inertial Confinement Fusion. The House proposes an increase of $10.8M increase over the President's FY 2004 Fusion Energy Sciences budget request for a total of $268M. The Senate proposes $257 M. Both Senate and House versions support particpation in ITER with flexibility for the available funds to be distributed to balance the needs of the fusion program. New, July 29, 2003.
• Senate passes HR-6 (previously passed by Senate as Energy Policy Act of 2002) on July 31, 2003 which will be used as the vehicle in the Conference Committee to include some provisions from Energy Policy Act of 2003 (S-14) which was not passed by the Senate. The section on fusion (p. 575-579) calls for DOE to submit a plan to Congress for "construction in the United States of a magnetic fusion burning plasma experiment for the purpose of accelerating scientific understanding of fusion plasmas." In addition, the Secretary "may also develop a plan for United States participation in an international burning plasma experiment whose construction is found by the Secretary to be highly likely and where United States participation is cost effective.."
  The Fusion Amendment was included in HR 6 which was passed by the House on April 11, 2003, final version of the bill is being printed (April 15). The bill also describes the conditions for U. S. participation in ITER, and calls for a plan to implement FIRE, as a domestic burning plasma experiment, if the construction of ITER is found to be unlikely or infeasible. Summary of HR 238 as approved by House Science committee on April 2, 2003.Opening statements by Chairman Boehlert , Ranking Minority Member Hall and Congresswoman Lofgren strongly supported fusion.
• ITER Negotiation News
  • JET’s future is in doubt because the current fusion budget at the European Union(EU) cannot both support the continent’s present fusion projects and pay for the construction of ITER, the planned international magnetic fusion reactor. Nature, July 3, 2003.
  • The first High Level ITER negotiators meeting (P-1) was held in Vienna, Austria on June 19, 2003. Representatives from Europe, Japan, United States, Russia, Canada, China and South Korea attended. Each Party submitted first indications of its position for various matters, as a basis for discussions among them. At the conclusion of P-1, all of the Participants agreed that substantial progress had been made on the path to the implementation of ITER. The next meeting, P-2, is scheduled to take place at the IAEA in Vienna at the start of October. Updated, July 14, 2003.
  • Republic of Korea requests entry into ITER Negotiations May 30, 2003. Report on the ITER discussions in Korea Herald Posted, July 14, 2003.
  • Ottawa Cool to Fusion Project Cost Toronto Star, May 20, 2003 Posted, June 3, 2003.
  • German Parliamentary Committee Considers ITER Site Proposal A committee of the German parliament is considering a proposal for an area in the east of the country to be recommended as a candidate site for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project. May 28, 2003
  • Negotiators Staff meeting underway May 14 - 23 in Garching, Germany in preparation for First Ministerial Level Negotiators meeting (P1) to be held June 19-20 in Vienna, Austria. Negotiators are aiming to have a consensus on the construction site, cost sharing and Director General by October, 2003.
  • Don't Mention the War .. Nature May 14, 2003
  • US Support for Spain Triggers Unease over Fusion Project Nature, May 14, 2003
  • Press Conference: Secretary Abraham and Commissioner Palacio May 1, 2003
  • Draft Minutes of EU Council of Ministers meeting May 14, 2003
  • Press Release EU Council of Ministers meeting May 13, 2003
  • EU Commission Paper on Status of ITER Negotiations May 6, 2003
  • US Administration (OSTP) Perspective on ITER and Fusion Energy May 5, 2003
  • US ITER Research Forum held May 8-9, 2003 at the University of Maryland.
• Presentations from the APS Spring Meeting in Philadelphia, April 5-8, 2003 including the Z- Pinch Results.
• Fusion bills introduced in Congress. Fusion Energy Development Act of 2003 - S 600 introduced in the Senate by Senators Larry Craig (R-ID) and Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) on March 12, 2003. Fueling the U.S.A. Through Unlimited Reliable Energy (FUTURE) Act of 2003 - HR 1282 introduced in the House by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Congressmen George Nethercutt (R-WA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Duke Cunningham (R-CA) on March 13, 2003.
• Office of Science Presentation to Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee Ray Orbach, March 6, 2003.
• FESAC Meeting. March 5-6, Hilton Hotel, Gaithersberg, MD
  • Agenda
  • Fusion Energy Sciences Program Presentation to FESAC, Anne Davies, (1.7 MB, ppt)
  • Developing Industrial Cost Estimates for ITER Systems of Possible Interest to the U.S. Presentation to FESAC, Ned Sauthoff, (616 kB, ppt)
  • Fusion Development Path Panel - Presentation to FESAC, Rob Goldston. (450 kb, pdf), or 4 MB, ppt
  • Fusion Development Path Panel - Final Report endorsed by FESAC (1 Mb, pdf),
  • National Research Council Burning Plasma Assessment.A summary of the Interim Report, Ray Fonck, for NRC BPAC (736 kB, pdf)
  • VLT-PAC Report on February 25-26, 2003 documents the devastating impacts of the FY 2004 budget cuts to technology.
  • NSO-PAC Interim Report in February 27-28, 2003 calls for FIRE work to continue until a decision is made on ITER construction in accordance with the FESAC Burning Plasma Strategy.
  • Open Letter to Fusion Community on US Participation in ITER, Anne Davies, March 4, 2003, (180 kB, ppt)
  • University Participation in ITER and Organization of the US ITER Management Structure, a White Paper issued by the University Fusion Association.
  • FESAC Letter to Orbach on Development Path. (32 kB, pdf)
  • FESAC Letter to Orbach on FY 2004 Budget. (64 kB, pdf)
• Blair releases White Paper on UK Energy Future , "Our energy future - creating a low carbon economy" (1.7 MB, pdf). Reactions on BBC News
• ITER held the 8th Negotiators meeting in St Petersburg February 18-19, 2003. China and the U.S. joined the negotiations. The members received a report, Joint Assessment of Specific Sites (JASS) for ITER. Additional information on Site Assessment activities. .The Ninth Negotiations Meeting will be held on 20-21 May 2003, in Vienna, hosted by the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
• FY 2003 Appropriations Bill for DOE Office of Science. Science Budget up $26.4M, fusion budget down $7.3M relative to request. Fusion Language
• President's Budget FY 2004 .
  • DOE Budget Detail website
  • DOE Press Release FY 2004 Budget , February 3, 2003
  • Secretary Abraham Speech FY 2004 Budget Roll Out , February 3, 2003
  • Secretary Abraham Remarks at Press Conference FY 2004 Budget Roll Out, February 3, 2003
  • DOE Narrative (2.3 MB, pdf)
  • DOE Detailed Budgets (0.3 MB, pdf)
  • Energy Independence Initiative
    • Statement by President Bush on Project Independence - Hydrogen Initiative Fusion mentioned.
    • Energy Independence Day - The Movie, President Bush, February 6, 2003. This is a 15 minute RealPlayer movie download. (50 MB, rm).
  • US FY 2004 Fusion Energy Science Budget Information
    • Fusion FY 2004 Overview (92 kB, pdf)
    • Fusion FY 2004 Budget Summary (48 kB, pdf)
    • Fusion Energy Sciences Program and Budget Details (0.5 MB, pdf) The fusion budget is flat at $257M. A new $12 M ITER Initiative is proposed.
  • Inertial Confinement (Fusion) and High Yield Campaign Program and Budget Details (1.3 MB, pdf) The ICF HY budget is increased by $13M to $467M. NIF construction funding is now past the peak and decreases from $214M to $150M in the ICF HY budget. The ASCI budget is increased $30M to $247M.
  • Nuclear Energy Program and Budget Details (1.6 MB, pdf) The nuclear energy budget is increased by $61M (20%) to $387M. A new $4 M Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative is proposed.
  • Renewable Energy Supply and Budget Details (20 kB, pdf) The renewable energy supply budget is increased by $37M (9%) to $444M. The Hydrogen Technology activity is more than doubled to $88M.
• French Prime Minister confirms Cadarache as candidate for ITER site. French or English.
• Spanish Science and Technology Minister Offers Barcelona as a site for ITER. December 9, 2002.
• US to Join ITER Negotiations
  • Statement by President Bush on ITER , Jan 30, 2003
  • DOE Press Release, Jan 30, 2003
  • Secretary Abraham Speech at Princeton, Jan 30, 2003
  • New York Times, Ken Chang, Jan 31, 2003
  • Inside Energy, David Jones, Inside Energy, Platts, The McGraw-Hill Cos., Feb 3, 2003
  • Science Magazine, Charles Seife, Feb 6, 2003
  • SCIENCE Magazine NOW, Charles Seife, Jan 31, 2003
  • Nature Magazine, Geoff Brumfiel, Feb 6, 2003
  • Trenton Times, Jan 31, 2003
  • What's New Bob Park, Jan 31, 2003
  • Princeton University, Jan 31, 2003
  • Princeton University Weekly Bulletin, Jan 31, 2003
  • The Daily Princetonian, Jan 31, 2003
  • Newark Star Ledger, Jan 31, 2003
  • Reuters News, Jan 31, 2003
  • United Press International, Jan 31, 2003
  • MSNBC News, Jan 31, 2003
  • Associated Press, Jan 30, 2003
  • CNN article, Jan 30, 2003
• President Bush announces $1.2B FreedomFUEL - A Clean and Secure Energy Future Initiative to reverse America's growing dependence on foreign oil. The proposed FY 2004 budget for hydrogen and fuel cell research through FreedomFUEL and FreedomCAR is $273M.
• Congressman Boehlert introduces Energy Bill in 108th Congress on January 8, 2003. The bill, HR 238, was co-sponsored by Congressman Ralph Hall and was referred to the Committee on Science, and the Committee on Resources. The section on fusion (p. 90-96) calls for DOE to submit a plan to Congress for “construction in the United States of a magnetic fusion burning plasma experiment for the purpose of accelerating scientific understanding of fusion plasmas.” In addition, the Secretary “may also develop a plan for United States participation in an international burning plasma experiment whose construction is found by the Secretary to be highly likely and where United States participation is cost effective..” These plans are to be submitted to Congress by July 1, 2004.
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  Megascience Projects and International Collaboration

  • Megascience Forum Activities (OECD) Posted October 13, 1999
  • Powerful Partnerships: A Synthesis of a Report by the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (500KB, pdf) Posted September 13, 1999
  • Powerful Partnerships: The Federal Role in International Cooperation on Energy Innovation, PCAST Panel (J. Holdren, Chair), Final Report (1.3 MB, pdf) June, 1999
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  Other Information on Fusion and Science

  • OTA Reports Office of Technology Assessment Reports
    • Starpower: The U.S. and the International Quest for Fusion Energy, October 1987 (5.7 MB, pdf)
    • The Fusion Energy Program: The Role of TPX and Alternate Concepts, February 1995 (1.4 MB, pdf)
  • ARIES Reports Fusion Power Plant Studies
  • Fusion Science and Technology
  • Physics of Plasmas
  • Nuclear Fusion
  • Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Institute of Physics Journal
  • Physical Review Letters
  • Journal of Plasma Physics
  • Journal of Fusion Energy
  • Fusion Engineering and Design
  • PPPL/Princeton University Library
  • Fusion and Plasma Physics Meetings Calendars
    • Plasma Conferences Listing from IEEE
    • PlasmaNet Meetings Calendar
    • Fusion Meeting Calendar Listing from Fusion Power Associates
    • Fusion Meeting Calendar Listing from Culham Fusion site
  • Other Fusion Websites
  • World Survey of Activities in Controlled Fusion Research IAEA 2007
  • U. S. Fusion Facility and Personnel Directory Fusion Power Associates
  • NRL Plasma Formulary  revised 2009
    
  • Physics Central
  • Magazines about Science

  Astrophyics and Solar Physics

  • TRACE Movie of Solar Flares (12 MB, QuickTime Movie)
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