42 U.S.C. § 9301 : US Code - Section 9301: Congressional findings and declaration of policy

Search 42 U.S.C. § 9301 : US Code - Section 9301: Congressional findings and declaration of policy

(a) The Congress hereby finds that -
(1) the United States must formulate an energy policy designed
to meet an impending worldwide shortage of many exhaustible,
conventional energy resources in the next few decades;
(2) the energy policy of the United States must be designed to
ensure that energy technologies using essentially inexhaustible
resources are commercially available at a time prior to serious
depletion of conventional resources;
(3) fusion energy is one of the few known energy sources which
are essentially inexhaustible, and thus constitutes a long-term
energy option;
(4) major progress in all aspects of magnetic fusion energy
technology during the past decade instills confidence that power
production from fusion energy systems is achievable;
(5) the United States must aggressively pursue research and
development programs in magnetic fusion designed to foster
advanced concepts and advanced technology and to develop
efficient, reliable components and subsystems;
(6) to ensure the timely commercialization of magnetic fusion
energy systems, the United States must demonstrate at an early
date the engineering feasibility of magnetic fusion energy
systems;
(7) progress in magnetic fusion energy systems is currently
limited by the funds made available rather than technical
barriers;
(8) it is a proper role for the Federal Government to
accelerate research, development, and demonstration programs in
magnetic fusion energy technologies; and
(9) acceleration of the current magnetic fusion program will
require a doubling within seven years of the present funding
level without consideration of inflation and a 25 per centum
increase in funding each of fiscal years 1982 and 1983.
(b) It is therefore declared to be the policy of the United
States and the purpose of this chapter to accelerate the national
effort in research, development, and demonstration activities
related to magnetic fusion energy systems. Further, it is declared
to be the policy of the United States and the purpose of this
chapter that the objectives of such program shall be -
(1) to promote an orderly transition from the current research
and development program through commercial development;
(2) to establish a national goal of demonstrating the
engineering feasibility of magnetic fusion by the early 1990's;
(3) to achieve at the earliest practicable time, but not later
than the year 1990, operation of a magnetic fusion engineering
device based on the best available confinement concept;
(4) to establish as a national goal the operation of a magnetic
fusion demonstration plant at the turn of the twenty-first
century;
(5) to foster cooperation in magnetic fusion research and
development among government, universities, industry, and
national laboratories;
(6) to promote the broad participation of domestic industry in
the national magnetic fusion program;
(7) to continue international cooperation in magnetic fusion
research for the benefit of all nations;
(8) to promote greater public understanding of magnetic fusion;
and
(9) to maintain the United States as the world leader in
magnetic fusion.