Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) Statement for the Record on Amendment #30 to H.R. 4394, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024
Thank you, Chairman Cole and Ranking Member McGovern, for considering testimony related to H.R. 4394, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
The amendment that I have submitted, along with my colleague from Virgina, Mr. Beyer, is fairly straightforward. It adds additional funds to the Office of Science account to increase support for Fusion Energy Science, and it correspondingly reduces funds for the Office of Nuclear Energy.
Fusion energy development is at an inflection point. The past few years have seen tremendous advances in fusion science. These advances are perhaps best showcased by the achievement of fusion ignition at the National Ignition Facility last year. These scientific advancements have been met with a surge of activity and investment in the private sector. We now have fusion energy startups collectively raising billions of dollars of capital and signing long-term power purchase agreements with the private sector. That said, there remain critical research gaps on the path to a new, transformational industry that these emerging companies simply will not be able to address on their own, such as the need to identify and develop the most durable and cost-effective materials for these systems.
The United States is the clear leader in this game changing technology. But our achievements have also spurred increased investments in both Europe and China. If we want American technology to power our clean energy future, then we need to redouble our efforts.
Our amendment would increase funding for Fusion Energy by $220.38 million, which would take Fusion Energy Sciences closer to the Congressionally authorized levels. The amendment would reduce the total for the Office of Nuclear Energy by $220.38 million to the President’s Budget Request level of about $1.563 billion. Note that this would still represent a 6.7% increase over the annual FY23 appropriated level.
I want to be clear that I remain very supportive of advanced nuclear research, development, and demonstration (RD&D). However, DOE’s nuclear energy activities have received very large supplemental funding in recent years. The Advanced Nuclear Demonstration Program received $2.5 billion in appropriated funds in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, much of which has yet to be allocated. The Office of Nuclear Energy also received $300 million for RD&D in the Ukraine supplemental. Moreover, the House Appropriations Committee is proposing to reallocate $2.4 billion from the Civil Nuclear Credit Program (which is not RD&D) to enable the availability of low enriched uranium (LEU) and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) for advanced nuclear reactors. And the proposal would reallocate another $1.197 billion for the Office of Nuclear Energy’s Carbon Free Power Project, a demonstration project for a particular small modular reactor technology. Choosing an offset is never easy, but I believe that there is much more bang per buck for U.S. taxpayers in getting the fusion level closer to the Congressionally authorized level by making the increase for nuclear energy RD&D activities slightly less massive.
The nascent U.S. fusion industry is at a critical juncture. We can choose to make strategic investments to ensure its success, or we can watch as yet another technology invented in America gets brought to market by our competitors.
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