42 U.S.C. § 9301: Congressional findings and declaration of policy

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; 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; fusion energy is one of the few known energy sources which are essentially inexhaustible, and thus constitutes a long-term energy option; 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; 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; 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; progress in magnetic fusion energy systems is currently limited by the funds made available rather than technical barriers; it is a proper role for the Federal Government to accelerate research, development, and demonstration programs in magnetic fusion energy technologies; and 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. to promote an orderly transition from the current research and development program through commercial development; to establish a national goal of demonstrating the engineering feasibility of magnetic fusion by the early 1990’s; 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; to establish as a national goal the operation of a magnetic fusion demonstration plant at the turn of the twenty-first century; to foster cooperation in magnetic fusion research and development among government, universities, industry, and national laboratories; to promote the broad participation of domestic industry in the national magnetic fusion program; to continue international cooperation in magnetic fusion research for the benefit of all nations; to promote greater public understanding of magnetic fusion; and to maintain the United States as the world leader in magnetic fusion.