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May 13, 2015

Energy Subcommittee Explores Innovative Nuclear Fission and Fusion Technologies

(Washington, DC) – Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Energy Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss public-private partnerships to advance research in innovative nuclear fission and fusion energy concepts and technologies.

Testifying before the subcommittee were Dr. Mark Peters, Associate Laboratory Director for Energy and Global Security at Argonne National Laboratory; Mr. Frank Batten, Jr., President of The Landmark Foundation; Mr. Nathan Gilliland, CEO of General Fusion; and Dr. John Parmentola, Senior Vice President of Energy and Advanced Concepts at General Atomics.

Witnesses discussed the emergence of a range of new fusion concepts being explored by national laboratories, universities, and the private sector; the need for an ongoing federal program to support the development of innovative fusion energy concepts; the costs and benefits associated with the current fleet of nuclear fission reactors; the potential of new fission reactors to reduce the amount of nuclear waste requiring long-term storage; technologies to address the proliferation risks associated with nuclear waste reprocessing; and the differences between fission and fusion reactors.

In his opening statement, Ranking Member Alan Grayson (D-FL) of the Energy Subcommittee said, “I am particularly pleased that, as part of this discussion, we will learn more about innovative new fusion energy concepts – concepts that have the potential to accelerate the development and deployment of commercial fusion reactors dramatically.”

Mr. Batten, Jr., helped put into perspective The Landmark Foundation’s motivation to support nuclear energy research, explaining “I live in Norfolk, Virginia, which is only a few feet above sea level … so we’re very concerned about the rising seas that could be caused by climate change.” Mr. Batten Jr. went on to explain his view that innovative new nuclear energy technologies could be critical to addressing this issue.

Democratic Members asked the witness panel how Congress could do more to support collaborations between the national laboratories and the private sector, and whether there are adequate tools available to accurately compare nuclear technologies at different levels of maturity. When asked how funding could be prioritized, Mr. Gilliland stated that each nuclear research technology alternative has costs and benefits, but “whether it’s fission or fusion or others … the world needs more energy and energy is fundamental to the entire economy.” He noted the need for robust federal support across the spectrum of innovative fusion and fission technologies because “this is not a winner-take-all industry we are developing … It’s not one or the other, it’s all.”