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2005-0336-F
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Bromley, D. Allan, Files
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Physical Science: Energy [2 of 2] [1991]
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"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
INFORMATION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9121692
ORIGINATOR: 02
STATUS I
DIRECTORATE STATUS
FROM:
WATKINS, James D.: THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY
TO:
DR. D.A. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 06/07/91
SUBJECT: A RESPONSE TO DR. BROMLEY'S LETTER OF 05/09/91 WHICH
FORWARDED A COPY OF MR. JAMES MCKENZIE'S LETTER OF
04/08/91 REGARDING MOX FUEL.
DIRECTORATE
STAFF
ASSIGNED:
ASSIGNED:
ACTION
STAFF
REQUIRED:
ACTION:
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
STAFF DUE DATE
DATE COMPLETED:
DATE COMPLETED/DEPT:
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
PHONE:
EXT:
REMARKS:
P-Physica Sciences-
OSTP RECEIVED: 06/11/91
FILE: CABINET MEMBER*ENERGY
DEPT RECEIVED:
9121692
OF
ENERGY
The Secretary of Energy
Washington, DC 20585
RECEIVED
STATES
OF
June 7, 1991
91 JUN 11 A10: 29
OFFICE OF THE
DIRECTOR
The Honorable D. Allan Bromley
Assistant to the President
for Science and Technology
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Allan:
This is in response to your letter of May 9, 1991, which
forwarded a copy of Mr. James M. McKenzie's letter of April 8,
1991, concerning his development of a technique to check the
seals of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel for light water reactors (LWRs).
Since that development has been very successful, he raises the
question of whether the United States should reverse its "no MOX
fuel decision."
Early in 1981, the Reagan Administration reversed the "no MOX
fuel decision," originally made during the Carter Administration,
and concluded that the industry could reprocess spent fuel and
utilize MOX in the United States as determined by market forces.
Subsequent to this change in policy, neither the nuclear industry
nor its customers have been willing to proceed with the use of
MOX fuel in LWRs.
In a comprehensive 1985 study and assessment of the economics of
the fuel cycle, the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development concluded that the use of
MOX was not economically competitive with ordinary uranium
dioxide fuel. Countries such as France and the United Kingdom
that are reprocessing can claim reasonable economics for these
facilities because the sunk costs, paid for in advance by other
countries, are excluded for the most part, leaving only
operation, maintenance, and decommissioning as the principal cost
elements. Aside from the issue of economics, some countries are
reprocessing or purchasing these services because of government
policy or national legislation requiring a closing of the fuel
cycle.
2
Because of the complexity and unfavorable costs of aqueous
reprocessing, many countries, including the United States, are
exploring alternatives, such as pyroprocessing, which hold
promise to be simpler and more economic and provide potential for
improved nuclear waste management and proliferation resistance.
In summary, our policy is to permit the use of MOX fuel in the
United States and allow free market forces to determine the
extent to which such fuel is used commercially while we
investigate research and development approaches that could
improve the benefits of spent fuel reprocessing.
Sincerely,
Jim James D. Watkins
Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired)
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
INFORMATION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9121405
FROM:
WATKINS, James D.: SECRETARY OF ENERGY
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 05/08/91
SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM FOR DR. BROMLEY REGARDING INFORMATION ON
CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED PROJECTS ("PORK") AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.
ASSIGNED TO:
ACTION REQUIRED:
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
Dr. Phillips
Thomas Ratchford
Ken Yale
Dr. Wong
Dr. Henderson
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
P-
DATE RECEIVED: 5/14
FILE: PHYSICAL SCIENCES- ENERGY
*
INTERNATIONAL - POLICY
9121405
RIMENT OF ENERGY
The Secretary of Energy
RECEIVED
DC 20585
STATES OF AMERICA
May 8, 1991
91 MAY 14 P12: 31
OFFICE OF THE
DIRECTOR
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HONORABLE D. ALLAN BROMLEY
ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SUBJECT:
INFORMATION ON CONGRESSIONALLY
DIRECTED PROJECTS ("PORK") AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Allan:
At our last FCCSET meeting, I promised to send you a
list of the congressionally directed projects in DOE's
FY 1991 budget. I have attached two papers that
delineate the pork that was put in our budget.
Attachment I shows the pork that was added and the cuts
in the legitimate science projects that we requested in
the President's FY 1991 budget proposal. You will see
that we lost a total of $143.7 million in good science
and gained $141.6 million in pork. Attachment II shows
how the congressionally directed funds are to be spent.
As you will see, the vast majority are used for "bricks
and mortar" projects.
As a first step toward a coordinated effort against
"pork", I think it would be worthwhile to collect this
type of data from all science agencies.
Sin Admiral, James D. Watkins U.S. Navy (Retired)
Attachments
P.S. "Directed Projects = "Pork"
ATTACHMENT I
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
FY 1991 CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED PROJECTS ANALYSIS
(Dollars in millions)
FY 1991
FY 1991
REQUEST
APPROPRIATION
CHANGE
Biological and Environmental Research
R&D
$338.8
$321.7
-17.1
Directed Projects
--
72.2
+72.2
TOTAL:
$338.8
$393.9
+55.1
Basic Energy Sciences
R&D
$648.7
$652.6
+3.9
Directed Projects
--
59.2
+59.2
TOTAL:
$648.7
$711.8
+63.1
University and Science Education
DOE Program
$34.7
$36.4
+1.7
Directed Projects
--
10.2
+10.2
TOTAL:
$34.7
$46.6
+11.9
Fusion Energy
$325.2
$273.6 *
-51.6
Superconducting Super Collider
$317.9
$242.9
-75.0
* Excludes $16 million reprogramming
Summary:
Cuts to R&D
-143.7
Adds for Directed Projects
+141.6
ATTACHMENT II
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
1991 Congressionally Directed Projects
UNIVERSITY AND SCIENCE EDUCATION
EPSCoR Planning Grants
*
$2,000,000
EPSCoR Graduate Traineeships *
2,000,000
Nuclear Engineering; University Nuclear Engineering Programs
5,000,000
Upgrading of University Reactors
1,000,000
Rural Enterprises, Inc.
200,000
Clark Atlanta University; Research Center for Science & Tech.
a/..
Total University and Science Education
$10,200,000
BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
Alabama, University of; Biomedical Research Facility
$9,942,000
Case Western Reserve University; Biomedical Research Facility
9,942,000
Childrens Hospital, Detroit, MI; Equip to support demo on
Position Electron Tomography
7,953,600
Laser Medical Applications Centers; Est. Cntrs. of Excellence
1,472,659
Louisiana State University; Biomedical Research Institute
12,427,500
Misericordia Hospital, Phila, PA; 6-MEV linear Accl. for Cancer
2,087,820
Oregon Health Sciences University; Neurosurgery Research Institute 12,427,500
South Carolina, Medical University of; Cardiac Research Institute
5,965,200
West Virginia University; Center for Nuclear Medicine in Alzheimers 9,942,000
Total-Biological and Environmental Research
$72,160,279
BASIC ENERGY SCIENCE
Material Sciences
Fort Hayes State University; Physical Science Center
$1,988,400
Oklahoma State Univ.; Advance Technology Research Center
4,971,000
Indiana State Univ.; Advanced Technology Center
4,814,414
Univ. Of New Orleans,; Center for Energy Resources Management
9,942,000
Boston College; Energy Sciences Research Facility
9,942,000
Purdue; Hqs. of Midwest Superconductivity Consortium
2,982,600
N. Iowa, University of; Center for Energy & Environmental Educ.
3,976,800
Center of Excellence
4,971,000
Ames: Technical and Admin. Services Facility
2,982,600
West Virginia University; planning of proposed Research Center
248,550
ENGINEERING AND GEOSCIENCES
Fort Hayes State University; Physical Science Center
$1,988,400
ADVANCED ENERGY PROJECTS
Louisiana Tech. University; Manufacturing Systems
Engineering Research Center
$745,650
Nebraska Univ. of; Nebraska Center for Science & Tech.
5,666,940
Diag. Instr. Anal. Lab., Miss. St. Univ.; Tech Transfer
3,976,800
Total-Basic Energy Science
$59,197,154
TOTAL CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED PROJECTS:
$141,557,433
a/ No amount specified, just language encouraging support
* EPSCoR, Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Programs
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
July 9, 1991
Dear Jim:
Many thanks for sending me the detailed breakdown of the "pork" in your
Department. I agree totally that it will be important to get equivalent numbers for
as many other departments as possible. Only by making very evident what is taking
place can we hope to in fact force a more rational distribution of Federal funding.
I much appreciate your help in getting this documentation and I am looking forward
to meeting with you in the very near future because there are a number of rather
important topics that we should discuss.
With warmest best wishes,
Sincerely yours,
Anan
D. Allan Bromley
The Assistant to the President
for
Science and Technology
The Honorable James D. Watkins
Secretary
Department of Energy
Washington, D.C. 20585
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
INFORMATION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9121281
FROM:
RITTNER, Edmund S.
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 04/24/91
SUBJECT: LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH CONCERNING AN AUTOMOTIVE
ENERGY PLAN.
ASSIGNED TO:
ACTION REQUIRED:
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
Dr. Wong
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
DATE RECEIVED: 04/30/91
FILE: P. PHYSICAL SCIENCES-ENERGY
Dr. Edmund S. Rittner
Consulting Scientist
700 New Hampshire Ave, NW, #116
Washington, DC 20037
252-955-06500
CLAPR 30 All: 03
April 29, 1991
President George Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
DIRECTOR
Dear Mr. President,
exhaust capable air eliminating the need for oil imports as well automobile which is
I of am attaching herewith a brief automotive energy plan
warming. pollution and the accompanying contribution to as
of engine of much higher efficiency and for the non-
polluting The plan calls for the introduction of a well-known global
require gasolene by a fuel derived from solar energy. The plan replacement does
in the biomass any additional monies and it builds upon DOE accomplishments not
emphasis in of an automotive application. It also endorses the of the new
engine area and upon a successful demonstration
for the the National Acadumy of Sciences on conservation recent
would be requirement of a 30% increase in auto fuel efficiency, excent
engine. unnecessary in view of the much higher efficiency of the which new
In short, the plan appears to be just what the nation needs!
Sincerely yours,
Edmund &. Rittis
cc: Vice President
Secretary DOE
Secretary DOT
Science Advisor
National Academy of Sciences
Chairman, House Energy & Commerce Committee
Chairman, Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee
Chairman, House Energy Subcommittee
Senate majority Leader
Senate minority Leader
Speaker of the House
House Majority Leader
House minority Leader
Proposed Automotive Energy Plan
Edmund S. Rittner
The goal of the present plan is to eliminate the need for
petroleum imports with their deleterious economic, environmental
and potential military impacts; and to eliminate air pollution
from automotive exhaust as well as the accompanying contribution
to global warming.
The plan calls for the replacement of the gasoline powered
internal combustion engine by an external combustion engine employ-
ing a Stirling cycle and powered by a fuel derived from photo-
synthesis and fermentation of agricultural products.
The external combustion engine, the thermodynamic basis for
which dates back to the early ninetcenth century, has a huge advant-
age with respect to pollution because the burning of the fuel is
completely separated from the internal working. This permits
complete oxidation to carbon dioxide and water and avoids formation
of oxides of nitrogen because of the absence of high temperature
sparking. Extensive development work has been carried out over a
twenty five year period by the N.V. Philips Co. and a published
account in 1959 describes a 40 HP experimental engine with an
efficiency of 38% at an engine speed of 1500 rom and exhibiting
very low noise and vibration. The weight required was 11 1b/HP.
Since the efficiency of the internal combustion engine is only 25%,
the Stirling cycle engine represents a 50% improvement. A technology
transfer to General motors Corporation took place about twenty years
ago but did not result in adoption of the engine. Over the past dec-
ade DOE has carried out application research on this engine with the
specific aim of incorporation into automobiles. The project was a
complete success technically but was discontinued because of lack of
interest on the part of the automotive industry.
The advantages of a fuel derived from solar energy are domestic
availability, renewability, energy storage, sufficient energy content
(for fuels yet to be discussed) for automotive use when employed with
the Stirling cycle engine, and avoidance of contributions to global
warming. The last advantage results because in the photosynthesis
step carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere in an amount
which compensates exactly for that released later in the fermentation
and burning steps.
The two most widely practiced industrial processes to produce
materials employable as fuels employ grain stocks high in starch
content which is converted to glucose. In one of the processes
ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is produced by use of one of a variety of
fermentation agents (eg, yeast enzymes), a process which has its
antecedents in antiquity. In the other process a different class
-2-
of fermentation agents is used (eg, Bacillus butylicus) and leads
to the formation of butyl alcohol and acetone as the principal
products in a volumetric ratio of 2:1. This process, which was
introduced by Weizmann," has been in wide industrial practice since
World War I for the production of acetone. The butyl alcohol is
more useful as a fuel than acetone and the latter may be converted
by hydrogenation to isopronyl alcohol. The latter is also a better
fuel than acetone and can be blended with the butyl alcohol to im-
prove the overall fuel yield. A major improvement in energy content
can then be achieved by conversion of these alcohols to ethers by
means of dehydration (eg, by the use of concentrated sulfuric acid).
The quantities of greatest importance for fuel use in external
combustion engines are the heat of combustion/cc and the boiling
point which is a rough indication of volatility. These quantities
are listed in Table 1 for a number of alcohols and ethers as well as
acetone. Also included are octane, which is the quintessential comp-
onent of gasolene, and the caloric data for several commercially
employed mixed blends.
Table 1
3)
Substance
No. C atoms
Heat of Combustion,
Boiling Point,
in chain
kcal/cc
°C
methyl alcohol
1
5.8
54.5
ethyl alcohol
2
9.0
78.5
propyl alcohol
3
10.0
82.0
butyl alcohol
4
10.6
117
amyl alcohol
5
11.0
138
acetone
3
9.3
56.5
ethyl ether
4
12.3
34.6
propyl ether
6
12.8
67.5
butyl ether
8
13.0
142
amyl ether
10
13.1
190
octane
8
16.3
125
gasolene
-
15.6
-
kerosene
-
13.4
-
furnace oil
I
11.8
-
fuel oil
-
10.4-12.1
-
Note that the heat of combustion/cc increases with the number
of carbon atoms in the chain of the molecule, that the ethers are
substantially more energetic than the corresponding alcohols, and
that probyl and butyl ethers are the best choices amongst the listed
alcohols and ethers when combustion heat and boiling point are jointly
considered. The blend of ethers resulting from the Weizmann ferment-
ation followed by hydrogenation and dehydration would have a heat
of combustion of 12.9 kcal/cc. This mixture of ethers will henceforth
-3-
be referred to as "ether blend". The combustion heat of ether blend
exceeds that of ethanol by 43 :, that of furnace oil by 9.36, and is
83 : that of gasolene. It is also of interest to note that butyl ether
has a molecular structure identical to that of octane with the add-
ition of an oxygen bridge in the center.
However, consideration of the yields of the two fermentation
processes indicates that production of ethanol would permit better
utilization of the agricultural resources. Yield data for the ethanol
case are available in a recent publication" for wood and corn. The
yield expressed as mass of ethanol produced per mass of dry feedstock
is 0.33 for wood and 0.35 for corn. This yield includes the possible
conversion losses of cellulose or starch to glucose. The corresponding
yield for the Weizmann process as reported* in 1920 is 0.15 - 0.20 for
rice, maise or other grains. It turns out that relative to the available
resources the ethanol process will produce more total energy than the
Weizmann process followed by conversion to the ethers by at least a
factor of 1.3. Thus, the opposing tendencies of higher energy content/cc
for the ether blend and higher total energy availability from ethanol
will call for trade-offs.
Reference (4), which represents an important milestone in the
DOE Ethanol from Biomass Program (where the fuel is intended for use
in conventional engines), provides data on the annual U.S. energy con-
sumptionin quad (1 cuad = 10"BTU) during 1989: transportation, 22 quad;
total petroleum, 34 quad; total energy, 81 quad. Use of the more eff-
icient external combustion engine would reduce the transportation require-
ment to 14.5 quad. Reference (4) also concludes that wood is much cheape:
than corn at high ethanol production levels where the market for corn
cobroducts would be saturated. It then estimates the ethanol production
potential for cellulosic feedstocks including agricultural-, forestry-
and municipal solid wastes; woody or herbaceous high productivity energy
crops (HPEC); and trees produced by conventional forestry. Account is
taken of available land including forest land not suitable for growing
crops, existing cropland available because of excess agricultural cap-
acity, and potential crobland that could become available, of particular
interest is the significant potential of the readily available waste
materials which could contribute a total of 3.8 quad, one quarter of the
modified transportation requirement. The full 14.5 qued will not be
required until complete conversion of all automobiles to the new engine,
which could take as long as a decade. The total ethanol production
potential is expressed in Table 3 of Ref (4) as 12.4 - 25.5 quad. The
lower value is based upon current HPEC productivityand 1988 existing
cropland, whereas the higher value refers to anticipated HPEC productivity
and projected available cropland in the year 2012. Reference (4) conclude
that cellulosic materials notentially available from energy crops, wastes
and conventional forestry could provide enough ethanol to meet the
current transportation requirement and projects a wholesale selling
price of $0.60 per gallon (mid-1980 basis) by the year 2000, provided
that aggressive R&D is continued.
-4-
Identical considerations apply to the production of the ether
blend as the only changes are substitution of a different agent for
fermenting glucose and the addition of the hydrogenation and dehy-
dration steps. The price of the ether blend will be higher than
that of ethanol because of the additional processing, but more imo-
ortantly, because of the lower fermentation yield. R&D with a goal
of increasing the latter quantity could prove very valuable because
an increased yield would result in both a lower price and an increased
energy availability.
Table 2 presents a comparison of ethanol and the ether blend as
well as two interesting mixtures of the two with respect to heat of
combustion/cc, the total energy production potential (with the lower
and higher values defined earlier), and the multiplýing factor to
obtain expected miles/gallon performance with the Stirling cycle engine.
Table 2
Composition of Fuel Heat of Combustion, kcal/cc Energy Potential, Miles/g
quad
Factor
ethanol
9.0
thanol++ether blend
12.4 - 25.5
0.88
3
10.3
11.4 - 24.3
3 lethanol+ rether blend
1.00
11.6
ether blend
10.4 - 22.2
1.13
12.9
9.4 - 20.0
1.26
Ethanol has the advantages of lowest price and highest total
-
energy production, but would result in a 12! lowering in miles/gal.
(Use of pure ethanol in the conventional engine would result in a 25 !
lowering in miles/gal. )4) The ether blend would produce a 256 increase
in miles/gal but a dimunition in total energy production relative to
ethanol by a factor of 1.32 and would have the highest price of the
fuels considered. The fuel consisting of a mixture of gethanol and
}ether blend is of particular interest as it offers the prospect of
no loss in miles/gal while causing relatively little reduction in
total energy production and little increase in cost. The mixture of
with that of furnace oil.
}ethanol and Bether blend has a caloric content/cc nearly identical
Fuel in excess of that required to serve the automotive require-
ment could be employed advantageously to replace the high sulfur bil
employed in electric utilities, thus reducing the sulfur dioxide
emissions leading to acid rain. Such fuel could be stretched consid-
erably further by use of conservation measures such as those recently
proposed by the National Academy of Sciences.
The plan has not yet dealt with the problems associated with use
-5-
of Liesel engines, which are internal combustion engines particularly
useful for large power requirements. Although the exhaust emissions
are not being subjected to municipal restriction and inspection,
presumably because in the aggregate they are small compared to auto-
mobile emissions, this rationale will gradually disappear if the
present plan is adopted. Diesel emissions not only offend the senses
but contain fine carbon particulates saturated with unburned Diesel
fuel which are probably hazardous to respiratory function. Eliminat-
ion of, or at least major reductions in, such emissions by use of
filters and/or catalytic converters should be possible. Legislation
requiring a low level cap on particulate emissions is highly desirable.
Replacement of Diesel by Stirling cycle engines in automobiles will
solve that facet of the overall problem. R&D to replace Diesel fuel
by an alternative derived from solar energy is also desirable and the
candidates listed in Table 2 should be tried.
A few words are in order to respond in advance to the expected
reluctance of the automotive and oil industries to make the necessary
adjustments to adoption of the plan. The automotive industry would
be relieved of the CAFE standards or equivalent conservation measures
presently under consideration, because the desired efficiency improve-
ments in the engine have been exceeded in the Stirling cycle engine.
moreover, the happy prospect of being able to offer an environmentally
clean vehicle powered by fuel derived domestically from solar energy
should permit recapture of market share lost previously to foreign
competitors. On the other hand, failure to offer such a product in
advance of foreign competitors would be courting financial disaster.
The oil companies face both a challenge and an opportunity. Because
they control the fuel distribution network and are highly skilled in
handling fuels and in carrying out chemical and physical processing
thereon, they are in a premium position to diversify and to continue
to serve the present domestic market. Failure to rise to the challenge
will result in debilitating loss of market share. moreover, freedom
from criticism and expenses associated with environmentally damaging
tanker oil spills should be a welcome advantage.
In summary, the goals of the plan, energy independence and
elimination of automotive exhaust pollution and accompanying global
warming, may indeed be met by use of a combination of the two mature
technologies discussed here. Reductions in fuel cost by the DOE
Biomass Program can be expected before they are needed on a large
scale because of the long life span of modern automobiles. Any short-
fall could be made up by temporary use of fuel oil since the Stirling
cycle engine can be operated on any combusible fuel. With respect to
cost, it should be kent in mind that achievement of fuel costs compet-
itive with gasolene really implies a large price reduction because of
the greatly added value of the environmentally compatible fuel.
Finally, the new plan does not require any new money from the
Federal treasury. The added costs, possibly increased engine cost
and somewhat higher fuel prices to early users, will be borne by the
users and not by the taxpayers. In view of the plethora of advantages
surrounding use of the "new" automobile, such price increases will be
well tolerated in view of value added.
-6-
References
1) R.J. Meijer, Philips Technical Review, 20, 245-262, (1958/1959)
2) C. Weizmann, British Patent 4845, (March 1915)
C. Weizmann and G.A. Hamlyn, US Patent 1,329,214, (January 1920)
3) Combustion values for pure organic substances taken from:
Corresponding values for the blends from:
Final products of combustion are CO2(g) and H₂O (1).
M.S. Kharasch, Bureau of Standards Journal of Research, 2, 359 (1929)
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 25 Edition, Chemical Rubber
Publishing Co. Cleveland, OH, (1941), D. 1422.
4) L.R. Lynd, J.H. Cushman, R.J. Nichols, and C.E. Wyman
Science, 251, 1318-1323 (1991).
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
INFORMATION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9121105
FROM:
LEE, T.D.: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 04/12/91
SUBJECT: THE TERAFLOP PROJECT PROPOSAL
ASSIGNED TO:
ACTION REQUIRED:
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
Dr. Wong
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS: Enclosure to DAB.
P-Physical Sciences-
DATE RECEIVED: 04/15/91
FILE: ENERGY
9/21/05
Columbia University in the City of New York
RECEIVE
I
New York, N.Y. 10027
DEPARTMENT OR PAPSICS All: 44
538 West 120th Street
OFFICE
April 12, 1991
DIRECTOR
The Honorable D. Allan Bromley
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology
Old Executive Office Building
17th and Pennsylvania, NW
Washington, D.C. 20506
Dear Allan,
It was good to talk with you today. RHIC is very much your
baby, and it warms one to see everything going well (even though I
was nearly frozen).
Enclosed is the Teraflop Project proposal. I greatly appreciate
your very strong support and I am looking forward to seeing its
fruition under your guidance.
Warmest regards,
T.D.
T.D. Lee
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
INFORMATION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9121123
FROM:
GILLELAND, John R.: BECHTEL
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 04/12/91
SUBJECT: THE ITER CONCEPTUAL DESIGN ACTIVITES FINAL REPORT.
ASSIGNED TO:
ACTION REQUIRED:
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
Dr. Wong
Dr Ratchford
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
P-Physical Sciences
DATE RECEIVED: 04/15/91
FILE: ENERGY
9121123
Bechtel
RECEIVED
50 Beale Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1895
Mailing address: P.O. Box 193965
San Francisco, CA 94119-3965
91 APR 15 P5: 12
OFFICE 12, 1991
DIRECTOR
Hon. D. Allan Bromley
Assistant to the President for
Science & Technology
Old Executive Office Building
17th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506
Dear Allan,
Enclosed is the "ITER Conceptual Design Activities Final Report". The
report is a very short summary endorsed by all four parties. Pages 14
through 19 are therefore worth reading. I will be happy to answer any
questions.
John
John R. Gilleland
Vice President, R&D
JRG:za
Enclosure
BECHTEL
Overseas Bechtel, Incorporated
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
April 25, 1991
Dear John:
Many thanks for sending me the copy of the "ITER Conceptual Design Activities Final
Report". This is an impressive document and one of which you can be justly proud.
I remain convinced that this is one of our most successful international research and
development activities to date and look forward to the succeeding phases.
Again, my thanks and with all best wishes,
Sincerely yours,
Allan
D. Allan Bromley
The Assistant to the President
for
Science and Technology
Dr. John R. Gilleland
Vice President for Research and Development
Bechtel
Overseas Incorporated
P.O. Box 193965
50 Beale Street
San Francisco, California 94105-1895
ITER DOCUMENTATION SERIES, No. 16
INTERNATIONAL
EXPERIMENTAL
ITER CONCEPTUAL
DESIGN ACTIVITIES
FINAL REPORT
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, VIENNA, 1991
ITER CONCEPTUAL DESIGN ACTIVITIES:
FINAL REPORT
ITER DOCUMENTATION SERIES, No. 16
ITER CONCEPTUAL DESIGN ACTIVITIES
FINAL REPORT
PREPARED BY THE
ITER COUNCIL
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY
VIENNA, 1991
ITER CONCEPTUAL DESIGN ACTIVITIES:
FINAL REPORT
IAEA, VIENNA, 1991
IAEA/ITER/DS/16
Printed by the IAEA in Austria
February 1991
FOREWORD
Development of nuclear fusion as a practical energy source could provide
great benefits. This fact has been widely recognized and fusion research has
enjoyed a level of international co-operation unusual in other scientific areas.
From its inception, the International Atomic Energy Agency has actively
promoted the international exchange of fusion information.
In this context, the IAEA responded in 1986 to calls for expansion of
international co-operation in fusion energy development expressed at summit
meetings of governmental leaders. At the invitation of the Director General
there was a series of meetings in Vienna during 1987, at which representatives
of the world's four major fusion programmes developed a detailed proposal for
a joint venture called International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor
(ITER) Conceptual Design Activities (CDA). The Director General then
invited each interested party to co-operate in the CDA in accordance with the
Terms of Reference that had been worked out. All four Parties accepted this
invitation.
The ITER CDA, under the auspices of the IAEA, began in April 1988 and
were successfully completed in December 1990. This work included two
phases, the definition phase and the design phase. In 1988 the first phase
produced a concept with a consistent set of technical characteristics and
preliminary plans for co-ordinated R&D in support of ITER. The design
phase produced a conceptual design, a description of site requirements, and
preliminary construction schedule and cost estimate, as well as an ITER R&D
plan.
The information produced within the CDA has been made available for the
ITER Parties to use either in their own programme or as part of an
international collaboration.
As part of its support of ITER, the IAEA is pleased to publish the
documents that summarize the results of the Conceptual Design Activities.
CONTENTS
PREFACE
9
1. INTRODUCTION
9
2. ITER OBJECTIVE
10
3. SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CDA
10
4. ORGANIZATION OF THE CDA
10
5. CONCEPT DESCRIPTION
11
6. DESIGN AND R&D ACTIVITIES
14
7. FUTURE R&D NEEDS
14
8. FUTURE ITER PROJECT ACTIVITIES
15
9. SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR
A CONSTRUCTION SITE
18
10. ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF ITER
18
11. CONCLUSIONS
19
REFERENCES
19
PREFACE
This is the Final Report by the International Thermonuclear
Experimental Reactor (ITER) Council on the ITER Conceptual Design
Activities (CDA) which were carried out in 1988-90 jointly by four Parties -
the European Atomic Energy Community, Japan, the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics and the United States of America - under the auspices of the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
1. INTRODUCTION
Thermonuclear fusion is one of the very few options, potentially
acceptable from the environmental, safety and economic points of view, to
provide energy for a growing world population. The bulk of the research
effort takes place in four large fusion programmes which are broadly similar
in content, accomplishment and direction and comparable in levels of efforts:
in the European Community, in Japan, in the Soviet Union and in the United
States. Fusion has now achieved a level of knowledge such that the scientific
and technological feasibility of fusion power can be addressed in the next step,
the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).
The history of co-operation on ITER began in 1985 when government
leaders in summit meetings called for more substantial international co-
operation in order to increase the efficiency and minimize the cost of fusion
power development. In response to the summit initiatives, experts from the
European Community, Japan, the Soviet Union and the United States, were
invited by the Director-General of the IAEA develop a guiding document
called the "Terms of Reference Concerning Conceptual Design Activities for
an International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor". The Conceptual
Design Activities (CDA) began in April 1988 after the four Parties formally
accepted the invitation of the Director-General to participate, in accordance
with the Terms of Reference, under the auspices of the IAEA [1].
The Terms of Reference of the CDA allowed for the involvement in the
contributions of the Parties of other countries which possess specific fusion
capabilities. Canada was involved in the CDA through the contribution of the
European Community (plus Sweden and Switzerland), while Czechoslovakia
took some part in the contribution of the Soviet Union.
The CDA were directed and managed by (1) the ITER Council (IC),
responsible for the overall direction of the CDA and exercising overall
supervision of their execution, and (2) the ITER Management Committee
(IMC), responsible for the execution of the CDA. The ITER Scientific and
Technical Advisory Committee (ISTAC) advised the IC on scientific and
technical matters.
9
2. ITER OBJECTIVE
The overall programmatic objective of ITER is to demonstrate the
scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power.
ITER would accomplish this objective by demonstrating controlled
ignition and extended burn of deuterium-tritium plasmas, with steady-state as
an ultimate goal, by demonstrating technologies essential to a reactor in an
integrated system, and by performing integrated testing of the high-heat-flux
and nuclear components required to utilize fusion power for practical purposes.
The heart of the ITER facility would be a tokamak device, a concept
first demonstrated in the Soviet Union and since then brought to a high level
of development in the major fusion programmes of the world.
3. SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CDA
The Terms of Reference of the CDA called for a quadripartite co-
operation aiming at:
(a)
defining a set of technical characteristics of an ITER and
subsequently carrying out the design work necessary to establish
its conceptual design;
(b)
carrying out in a co-ordinated manner specific validating research
and development work supportive of the design activities;
(c)
defining future research and development needs and drawing up
schedule, manpower and cost estimates for the realization of
such a device;
(d)
performing a safety and environmental analysis and defining the
technical requirements for a construction site of ITER.
with the objective of providing, by the end of 1990, a design that is then
available for all Parties to use either in their own programme or in an
international collaborative programme.
Each of these aims was met, as described in the following Sections.
4. ORGANIZATION OF THE CDA
In compliance with point (a) of Section 3., the CDA were carried out
in two phases: a definition phase performed from April to October 1988 and,
subsequently, a design phase, completed in December 1990.
As part of the definition phase, a single set of ITER technical
characteristics was developed and reported on by the IMC in the two-volume
10
document "ITER Concept Definition" [2]. The report also contained a plan
for ITER supporting R&D activities, which were subsequently carried out.
As part of the design phase, a conceptual design of the ITER device
was developed. All the design work carried out for the implementation of
CDA was documented; it was summarized by the IMC in the document "ITER
Conceptual Design Report" [3].
Furthermore the Terms of Reference of the CDA state that the ITER
Council "will make suggestions on how the Parties may explore ways and
means to comply with the objective of the co-operation...". Accordingly and
believing that it would be highly desirable to avoid any unnecessary hiatus in
the technical work after completion of the CDA at the end of 1990, the ITER
Council in 1989 chartered a Working Party to explore these ways and means
and to propose those supporting elements needed for the possible conduct of
future ITER collaboration. The ITER Council members came to the view that
these findings could be helpful in exploratory discussions among the Parties to
prepare consolidated common elements for future negotiations. As a result,
a summary of the material produced by the Working Party was incorporated
into the Council's Status Report [4] and made available to the Parties in April
1990.
5. CONCEPT DEFINITION
The ITER design is based on scientific knowledge and extrapolations
derived from the operation of dozens of tokamaks over the past decade, and
on the technical know-how flowing from the extensive technology R&D
programmes of the four Parties. The ITER tokamak is shown in Fig. 1. Its
principal parameters are listed in Table 1.
The main characteristics and parameters of the ITER tokamak follow
from its technical objectives which in turn are in line with the programmatic
objective. The detailed technical objectives and the main characteristics of
ITER are given in Annex I to the Terms of Reference. Ignition requirements
set the value of plasma current. Extended burn favours superconducting coil
systems. The design targets for the first wall fluxes and fluence both dictate
approximately the same minimum shield thickness in the device. When these
are combined with considerations of plasma stability, impurity control and
current drive, the general features and approximate size of the ITER reactor
are determined. Nevertheless, within the freedom allowed by the technical
objectives, the design philosophy has been to control size and minimize cost.
Moreover, safety considerations have been an integral part of the design
activities.
The design was carried out to comply with the technical objectives of
ITER laid down in the Terms of Reference and its Annex I. Design policy,
11
TABLE 1. ITER PRINCIPAL PARAMETERS
Plasma major radius, R (m)
6.0
Plasma half-width at midplane, a (m)
2.15
Elongation, 95% flux surface
1.98
Toroidal field on axis, B₀ (T)
4.85
Nominal maximum plasma current, Ip (MA)
22
Nominal fusion power, Pᶜ (GW)
1
Pulse length, (s)
> 200
0 2 4 6m
Fig. 1. Principal Elements of ITER Tokamak
12
JFMAMJJASOND
1988
CONCEPT DEFINITION PHASE
Joint Work
Concept Definition
Report Draft Issued
ISTAC Meetings
Council Meetings
1989
DESIGN PHASE
Joint Work
Interim Conceptual
Design Draft Issued
ISTAC Meetings
Council Meetings
1990
DESIGN PHASE
Joint Work
Final Conceptual
Design Draft Issued
ISTAC Meetings
Council Meetings
Fig. 2. Schedule of ITER Conceptual Design Activities
13
aimed at risk reduction, has been to: (1) proceed essentially from the data base
derived from the operation of the present generation of Tokamaks; (2) provide
the maximum machine performance and physics margin consistent with prudent
engineering practices and reasonable costs; (3) build in as much experimental
and operational flexibility as practical in a machine of ITER's size; (4)
implement physics and technology R&D plans to validate the ITER design
concept.
6. DESIGN AND R&D ACTIVITIES
As described by the IMC in Ref. [3], the CDA resulted in the joint work
of about 40 to 60 professionals for a period of many months each year at a
Technical Site provided by the European Community at the Max-Planck-
Institut fuer Plasmaphysik in Garching, near Munich. As shown in Fig. 2,
there were five months of joint work in 1988, six in 1989 and seven in 1990.
Figure 2 also shows meetings of the ITER Council and the ISTAC.
Specialists' meetings were held during the period of the joint work sessions in
Garching. Also, short-term visits by experts contributed to the activities.
Considerable design and analysis support was provided by staff at the Party's
home sites. The joint work at the technical site was integrated with regard to
the technical work of personnel in the four Parties with a view to resolve each
major design issue by forging a consensus among the Parties at the technical
level.
In compliance with point (b) of Section 3., the conceptual design process
has been supplemented by an extensive programme of supporting research and
development. As anticipated in the Terms of Reference each Party committed
approximately 10 million US dollar of R&D per year. Following the
recommendation of the IMC, all of this committed effort was devoted to
technology R&D. Furthermore, a substantial programme of physics research
was developed and the Parties agreed to contribute this research support in
addition to the technology R&D.
Overall, the design activity performed during the CDA involved over 100
man years from each Party during the nominal three years of the ITER CDA.
7. FUTURE R&D NEEDS
In compliance with point (c) of Section 3., the CDA has defined the
R&D work to be conducted in both physics and technology in the various
laboratories of the Parties to validate the scientific and technical basis and
assumptions for the ITER design. As described by the IMC [3], the physics
R&D plan puts particular emphasis on reducing uncertainties in the divertor
14
performance and energy confinement, extending the burn duration with non-
inductive current drive and avoiding disruptions. The main categories of the
technology R&D activities are a superconducting magnet, plasma-facing
components, nuclear blankets and shields, remote maintenance, fuelling
systems, and heating and current drive systems.
The ITER Council concludes that continued focus on physics R&D, using
existing facilities, would minimize uncertainties and increase confidence in the
ITER design assumptions. With appropriate additions to the existing
technology R&D efforts by the Parties, sufficient prototype and proof-of-
principle demonstration and other necessary developments could be carried out
to provide a sound basis for decisions to proceed with the construction of
ITER, according to the schedule estimates described in the next Section.
8. FUTURE ITER PROJECT ACTIVITIES
The ITER Council has concluded that, from a technical point of view,
Engineering Design Activities (EDA) preparing the ground for a possible later
decision on construction would be the appropriate next stage in ITER activities
[4].
Organizational Assumptions
In order to develop estimates in compliance with point (c) of Section 3.,
various organizational assumptions were made in addition to the technical
assumptions underlying the design: that the Parties would agree to continue
their co-operation through all future ITER project activities, that there would
be a Central Team, and that there would be Home Support organizations run
by each of the Parties to conduct specific design and R&D, assigned by the
Central Team, in home research institutions and industry.
All costs have been estimated in January 1989 US$ and are given in round
figures. The costs have been derived with the assumption that the Engineering
Design Activities start at the beginning of 1991 and would have to be
reassessed should there be a significant delay.
The following estimates are sensitive to the assumptions and would have
to be updated as the technical and organizational issues are further resolved.
Project Schedules
A possible project schedule for such EDA, as developed on a purely
technical basis by the IMC, is given in Fig. 3. Taking practical considerations
into account, the ITER Council believes that after a decision to proceed with
the EDA, 6 years would be needed to carry out the design and complete the
15
16
Year
1991
1992
1993
I
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
MILESTONE
Selection of EDA Site
Proposal for
Start of
Appointment of Director
Decision on
Construction
Approval of Technical Objectives
Construction
Phase
Implementation of Critical R&D
and Site
V
V
V
Apr
DESIGN
X
0
R&D
X
o
CONSTRUCTION PHASE
*
CENTRAL TEAM
(Professionals)
30
100
140
180
180
180
Sep
Sep
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
KEY:
X = Initiate Activity
O = Report of Engineering Design
= Complete/Approve
Fig. 3. Possible Schedule for ITER Engineering Design Activities (developed on purely technical basis)
necessary R&D to provide the Parties with well-documented and technically
convincing information for making a decision on construction and siting.
Following these decisions it has been anticipated that there would be a
construction period (about 8 years) and operation in two phases, physics and
technology (together lasting about 18 years), concluding with decommissioning.
Manpower and Costs During Engineering Design Activities
The professional manpower needed to carry out the design activities during
the EDA amounts to about 1200 professional man years (pmy). This work
would be conducted at a central site by a team whose strength would rise to
about 180 professionals, and by the home teams. The cost of this design work
including full overhead and support personnel, is estimated to be about $250
million.
The R&D in support of the design includes Physics R&D, Basic
Technology R&D which constitutes engineering database validation, and
Specific Engineering R&D which consists of scalable models and related test
facilities.
Costs of the physics R&D are not included in ITER costs since they are
integral to the world fusion programmes and cannot be separately estimated.
The Basic Technology R&D is estimated to cost about $400 million
including R&D to provide alternatives or backup options to the primary
choices. The Specific Engineering R&D cost is estimated to be about $350
million. The cost of developing DEMO-relevant blanket modules, to be tested
on ITER, is not included since this work is assumed to be part of the long-
term home R&D programmes.
Estimated Manpower and Cost Requirements During Construction, Operation
and Decommissioning Activities
The professional manpower that would be needed during the Construction
Activities has been estimated to be about 2900 pmy, provided primarily at the
construction site.
The construction cost of ITER has been estimated to be about
$4.9 billion.
During the construction phase there would be the need for technology
R&D (estimated to cost about $300 million). As in the EDA, the cost of
physics R&D directly attributable to ITER cannot be separated from the world
fusion programmes expenditure.
A Central Team of 300 professionals would be needed during the
Operation Activities, including physicists and engineers, to operate the machine
and supervise the testing programme.
17
The resulting preliminary operating cost estimates amount to about $270
million/year. The cost of the experimental programme which will be carried
out on ITER will be in addition to this basic operational cost.
Decommissioning costs have not been estimated.
9. SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
FOR A CONSTRUCTION SITE
As described by the IMC in Ref. [3], in compliance with point (d) of
Section 3. of the present report, a safety and environmental analysis has been
conducted and construction site requirements for ITER have been under study
during the CDA.
The safety and environmental analysis shows that the conceptual design
of ITER is consistent with anticipated regulatory dose limits for routine as well
as accidental exposure of the public. There remain issues to be addressed by
further design and future safety research so as to benefit fully from the
potential safety advantages of fusion reactors.
Apart from the requirements deriving from safety and environmental
considerations, other key requirements for the site of ITER construction would
be sufficient electric grid capability, potential for on-site cooling, land area and
appropriate access. The ITER construction site would have to be equipped for
handling radioactive components and materials. In general, the range of
acceptable conditions for the construction site is sufficiently large that all of
the Parties appear to have sites available for detailed consideration at the
appropriate time.
10. ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF ITER
In addition to its direct benefits, ITER would produce industrial and
technical knowledge for participants. Moreover, full implementation of the
ITER project could provide valuable experience for international collaboration
in other large high-technology projects for solving some of the world problems,
for which the scales are such that solutions must be found through
multinational efforts. Some of the problems of large-scale global collaboration,
particularly those that involve human factors, have already been met and solved
during the ITER Conceptual Design Activities.
18
11. CONCLUSIONS
The ITER Council's final conclusions are the following:
1.
The Conceptual Design Activities of ITER represent a significant
advance in international technical collaboration by the four Parties.
2.
The ITER activity has resulted in a self-consistent conceptual design
which meets the programmatic and technical objectives formulated
in the ITER CDA Terms of Reference.
3.
The ITER conceptual design, along with the long-term physics and
technology R&D programmes which have been developed, is
technically sufficient to proceed to the engineering design, which is
the appropriate next stage in ITER collaboration.
4.
The critical issues to be addressed during the engineering design
have been identified along with approaches for their resolution
which would take into account continuing advances in technical
knowledge.
5.
The ITER collaboration has served to focus the fusion research
efforts of the various Parties toward a common goal.
6.
ITER will be judged by public opinion not only as a demonstration
of the technical feasibility of fusion power, but also as a
demonstration of its safety and environmental advantages. It is
important that safety and environmental considerations should
continue to be a guiding principle in the engineering design.
7.
A significant quantity of R&D has already been carried out during
the Conceptual Design Activities, and this has been useful in
optimizing the conceptual design. It is important to take the
necessary steps to maintain the momentum of this unique
international co-operation.
REFERENCES
[1] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Establishment of
ITER: Relevant Documents, ITER Documentation Series, No. 1, IAEA,
Vienna (1988)
19
[2] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, ITER Concept
Definition, Vols. 1 and 2, ITER Documentation Series, No. 3, IAEA,
Vienna (1989)
[3] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, ITER Conceptual
Design Report, ITER Documentation Series, No. 18, IAEA, Vienna (1991)
[4] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, ITER Activities
Status Report: April 1990, ITER Documentation Series, No. 12, IAEA,
Vienna (1990)
91-00339
20
INTERNATIONAL
ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY
VIENNA, 1991
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
INFORMATION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9121036
FROM:
LEDERMAN, Leon M.: FERMILAB
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 04/04/91
SUBJECT: INFORMATION ON FERMILAB, ITS STATUS AND ITS FUTURE.
ASSIGNED TO:
ACTION REQUIRED:
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
Dr. Wong
KE has seen
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
P-Physical Sciences Energy
DATE RECEIVED: 04/08/91
FILE: EMERGY
9121036
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Fermilab
RECEIVED
P.O. Box 500
Batavia, Illinois
60510
708-840-3211
FTS 370-3211
Director's Office
91 APR 8 P3: P : 08
OFFICE OF THE
April 4, 1991
DIRECTOR
The Honorable D. Allan Bromley
Assistant to the President for Science & Technology
Old Executive Office Building
17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Suite 358
Washington, D.C. 20506
Dear Dr. Bromley:
I am taking the liberty of enclosing a few items related to Fermilab,
its status and its future. I hope you enjoy them.
Sincerely,
beanch Laden
Leon M. Lederman
Enclosures
1. Brief for Fermilab
2. The Tevatron (Sci American)
3. Physicists Close in (N.Y. Times 3-19-91)
updated 3/18/91
A BRIEF FOR FERMILAB
Leon M. Lederman
March 13, 1991
Fermilab is now the highest energy accelerator in the world
and it will remain at this frontier until the supercolliders, the SSC in
Texas and the LHC in Europe's CERN laboratory, come on the air by
about the year 2000. Since proton machines traditionally take
several years to begin to produce useful data, the hegemony of
Fermilab will extend well into the next century.
The 25 year history of Fermilab is characterized by exuberance
and success. The first phase (1972-82) achieved twice the energy
specified in the design with twice the number of beam lines, on
schedule and at a cost of $10M less than appropriated.
The second phase yielded the successful operation of the
world's first superconducting synchrotron, raising the energy from
400 Billion-volts to 900 Billion-volts while reducing energy
consumption from 60 megawatts to less than 20 MW. This phase
saw the initiation of proton-antiproton colliding beams and the
operation of the "CDF" particle detector, probably the most
sophisticated system of accelerator and detector art ever achieved.
Some 1400 experimenters from 100 U.S. universities and
laboratories and institutions in 17 foreign countries have chosen
Fermilab for their research facility.
The third phase, begun in 1989, involves a dramatic upgrading
of the collision rates in order to fully exploit the Laboratory's leading
role for the next decade (1991-2001). It is motivated by crises in the
progress of our understanding of the nature of fundamental particles
(e.g. the top quark) as well as the need to solidify the knowledge
base. It is reasonable to expect that the scientific results, the
technological advances and the experience of the Fermilab users will
all be crucial to the successful exploitation of the SSC.
The third phase has the concomitant goal of providing the
Laboratory with an important facility for addressing crucial issues in
particle physics away from the high energy frontier which will pass
to SSC and LHC. In particular, the Main Injector, designed to
2
provide unequalled collision rates for the Fermilab collider, will also
provide beams of superb properties for addressing two general
categories of problems which are very unlikely to be addressed by
SSC. One has to do with intense beams of neutral kaons which will
enable studies of the enigma of "CP" symmetry-violating processes
(addressed by cosmologists as the "origin of matter" problem) at a
level of a hundred times greater sensitivity than is now possible. The
other facility is super intense beams of neutrinos to elucidate both the
long-standing puzzle of the behavior of neutrinos from the sun and
the nature of the gravitational "dark matter" that permeates the
universe.
Thus, one can easily foresee, a fifteen year period of leadership
and productivity for a Laboratory that has achieved a spectacular
scientific and technological track record. The history of machines is
replete with surprises which could well provide Fermilab with
additional scientific missions.
The advances to which Fermilab contributes is part of the
investment in basic research, the human knowledge resource from
which, if history is any guide, the nation will draw upon for decades
to come. Fermilab's technology in such diverse areas as
superconducting systems, medical accelerators and instrumentation
has already paid back a significant part of the investment made here
by the Federal Government. The Laboratory has advanced its
science while, at the same time, setting new standards in its attention
to educational outreach, to ecological concerns with its created
wetlands and massive prairie restoration, to unique medical
applications, to its world famous architecture and its concern for the
blending of science with the visual and performing arts. Surely this
absolutely unique institution is a place of pride for the nation.
ScienceTimes
TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1991
Physicists Close In on World's Fastest Supercomputer
Collision chamber
New Approaches
Facing daunting calculations on
with hundreds
To a Mass of Data
of thousands
subatomic particles, scientists
of detectors
In the accelerator at the
build their own system.
Fermi National
Laboratory powerful
By JOHN MARKOFF
streams of particles
collide, producing
BATAVIA, III.
showers of smaller
N a workbench here at the Fermi National
particles and a vast
o
9,5 million collisons
Accelerator Laboratory physicists are running
amount of data about
final tests on a notebook-sized module that will
soon become the basic building block of the
their trajectories,
world's fastest supercomputer. This fall it will begin
momentum and mass.
aiding theorists in refining their understanding of the
Proton beam
Anti-proton beam
subatomic structure of matter.
Known as the Advanced Computer Program Multi-
ple Array Processor System, or MAPS, the machine will
be composed of an array of 600 thumbnail-sized micro-
GATHERING DATA
processor chips, each capable of computing hundreds of
Each generates
Large arrays of high-
times faster than a standard desktop computer.
over 800,000
speed, specialized
Physicists now say they will need to rely on super-
pieces of data.
sensors are tripped
computers like MAPS that are dozens of times more
powerful than any now in existence to test a theory that
Data filtering
when small particles hit
predicts the behavior of fundamental particles known as
them. These hits
quarks. At least five groups of scientists in the United
combine to form the
States, Italy and Japan are now racing to complete such
small particle's track.
machines. When the first of these machines, called
massively parallel computers, begin to compute an-
DATA FILTERING
swers, perhaps before the end of the year, scientists hope
Farm
Farm
they will provide the strongest evidence yet to confirm - -
STORING DATA
or possibly even debunk - the underlying assumptions of
Fast electronic filtering
modern physics.
Farm
Farm
"Our field of research is now pushing the most
systems select the tiny
extreme limits in computing," said Dr. John Peoples, the
Farm
sample that is most
director of Fermilab.
of Processors
useful. This data is
Because today's commercial supercomputers lack
stored on tape for
the speed necessary to perform these immense calcula-
tions, physicists have increasingly begun designing their
analysis.
own special-purpose machines. By wiring together inex-
pensive off-the-shelf components, they can create power-
ful parallel computers that excel at scientific problems
RECONSTRUCTION AND ANALYSIS
by assigning a different processor to each separate
Collisions are reconstructed with the aid of computer
component of the model.
These machines work by breaking problems up into
modeling techniques to gain a clearer view of the
hundreds of small parts to speed computing. In contrast,
particles that were produced. In the next round of
conventional business and scientific computers work
experiments, physicists hope to find evidence of a
sequentially on data. The amount of computing power
particle known as the top quark, which would confirm
that will be required is daunting. In fact, theoretical
physicists here acknowledge that they do not yet com-
key theories about the subatomic structure of matter.
pletely know how much will be needed to prove -- or
The New York Illustration by AI Granberg
Physicists Close In
On Fastest Computer
The machine will be capable of
Continued From Page CI
performing one trillion floating point
operations - mathematical calcula-
disprove - their theories. But esti-
tions - per second. By comparison,
mates of the computing power re-
the fastest supercomputers today
quired for accurate testing of elemen-
reach peak speeds of three billion to
tary particle theories at the neces-
five billion floating point operations
sary level of precision run as high as
per second. The teraflop machine is
10,000 Cray hours - more than a year
scheduled to be completed in 1993.
of computing on the world's fastest
"What we're aiming for is a quali-
supercomputers.
tative improvement in accuracy,"
"It's become something of a stand-
said Dr. Norman H. Christ, a Colum-
and joke in the physics community,"
bia University theoretical physicist.
said Dr. Thomas Nash, a physicist
"Right now we know we're not in the
who heads computation at the nation-
regime to achieve sufficient theoreti-
ai research laboratory. "These prob-
cal accuracy, but with a machine that
lems are already soaking up all the
is two orders of magnitude faster that
free computing cycles on supercom-
should change."
puters around the country."
Moreover, what is true for theoreti-
- Today there are five major
cal physicists is also true for their
projects around the world that have
experimental physics colleagues.
built specialized supercomputers to
Here at Fermilab, researchers now
solve basic theoretical physics prob-
measure the results from the sub-
lems. In addition to the Fermilab
atomic proton-antiproton collisions
machine, Columbia University and
that take place in the Tevatron accel-
researchers at I.B.M.'s Yorktown Re-
erator in terms of terabytes of data. A
search Laboratory, as well as scien-
byte is the unit of information that
tists in Italy and Japan, have working
represents one letter or number in a
computer's memory and a terabyte is
systems.
"We're actually all friends," said
equivalent to one trillion letters or
Dr. Donald Weingarten, an I.B.M.
numbers - roughly equivalent to the
information contained in 2,000 multi-
volume encylopedias.
Experimental physicists here re-
As particle
quire tremendous computing power
to conduct their search for an ele-
accelerators improve,
mentary particle known as the top
quark. Although it remains elusive,
computations must
evidence of the particle's existence is
necessary to confirm the validity of
keep pace.
the leading theory of the basic struc-
ture of matter, known as "the stand-
ard model." The big accelerator ring
at Fermilab, called the tevatron, is
physicist who is in charge of the com-
now being refurbished to reach ener-
puter maker's GF-11 supercomputer
gy levels necessary to yield evidence
at Yorktown, which began working on
of the heaviest quark's existence.
real data earlier this year. "But we
"I'm confident we'll find it during
all keep close tabs on each other's
the next run," said Dr. Alvin Tolles-
projects."
trup, a Fermilab physicist who has
Fermilab is now completing work
overseen the design and construction
on an upgraded system that will be 10
of the experimental apparatus used
times more powerful than its first
to capture the streams of high energy
generation system, and will likely be
particles created by proton-anti-pro-
the world's fastest computer when it
ton collisions.
IS complete. But it may be the world
Known as the Collider Detector Fa-
leader for only a short period. A con-
cility, the four-story instrument sits
sortium of 15 universities is now
at the coHision point of the Tevatron
working with Thinking Machines Inc.,
ring. Of the hundreds of thousands of
a Cambridge, Mass., supercomputer
collisions that take place each second,
maker to make use of the first so-
data from only about 10 are saved,
called teraflop supercomputer.
each generating 100,000 bytes of in-
Probing Forces at Heart of Atom
In an effort to describe the strong force that binds the atomic nucleus,
physicists are constructing supercomputers to study quarks, the
subatomic particles that form the
protons and neutrons in the atomic
nucleus, and the gluons that hold them
together. But the relationships of
quarks and gluons are constantly
changing and extremely complex.
Atom
There are believed to be six varieties
of quark; gluons are believed to exert
Nucleus
Proton or
eight different kinds of force.
neutron
Quark
Gluon
3-DIMENSIONAL MATRIX
FOR STUDYING INTERACTIONS
Scientists have constructed a theoretical
model of the nucleus in which quarks are
represented by "marbles" connected by
"sticks" representing gluons. Small sections
of the model correspond to processors in a
Quark
supercomputer under construction at
Fermilab. These processors perform the
Gluon
calculations representing changes in the
quark-gluon relationship.
Porton of model
conforming to processor
Source: Fermitab
The New York Times
formation. Even though the ring runs
ysis.
only part of the time it generates two
Scientists here, who are participat-
to three terabytes of data each year.
ing in the design of the computing
To capture the huge flows of data
systems to be used in the future Su-
physicists at Fermilab will use what
perconducting Supercollider, or SSC,
they call "farms" of fast reduced
to be built in Texas later this decade,
instruction set computer, or RISC,
say that the data collection problems
processors that gather the output
for the new particle accelerator will
from hundreds of thousands of detec-
be several orders of magnitude great-
tors. The experiments conducted at
er.
the laboratory's Collider Detector
The SSC will generate more than
Facility rely on a hierarchical set of
100 "events" each second or about
ultrafast triggers, detector electron-
one million events a year. Each event
ics, computers and tape storage
will be monitored by a far larger
systems. After they acquire the data
number of sensors and triggers and
from each experiment it is necessary
will generate a million bytes of data.
to "reconstruct" each event in order
Annually physicists expect the SSC to
to recognize the events that look most
yield 1,000 terabytes a year that will
promising.
then be reduced by a factor of be-
Even after the reduction this still
tween 100 and 1,000.
yields about 230 billion bytes of data
To meet these challenges, re-
that must be available for later anal-
searchers at Fermilab and other ad-
vanced high energy research centers
around the world have been forced to
go beyond commercially available
supercomputers and attempt to de-
velop specialized machines to com-
pute basic physics problems.
Fermilab is now in the final stages
of acquiring a new processor farm
equivalent to the power of 1,800 Digi-
tal Equipment Corporation VAX
minicomputers. These systems also
function as parallel computers, but
less tightly coupled than the MAPS
system.
MAPS is also being used to test the
theory of quantum chromodynamics,
or QCD, a theory that attempts to
explain the interaction of quarks,
which are thought to bind together as
the basic constituents of protons, neu-
trons and related particles. The term
"chromodynamics" is a reference to
explore particle physics. Dr. Nash
Progress in several
argues that researchers in high ener
gy physics have long taken the lead in
exploiting problems which exhibit
disciplines changes
what he calls "explicit parallelism."
Designing computers to tackle
the market for
these and similar scientific problems
is radically changing the market for
computers.
ultrafast computers. Until recently
the fastest computers have incorpo-
rated little or no parallelism. Ma-
the whimsical practice by physicists
chines such as those made by Cray
of labeling different states, or
Research Corporation have instead
charges, of quarks by three colors:
been designed around a single or a
red, purple and green, and those of
small cluster of extremely fast pro-
antiquarks by cyan, yellow and ma-
cessors that line up long "vectors" of
genta.
calculations and then process them
A Cornell University physicist, Dr.
as quickly as possible:
Kenneth G. Wilson, proposed in 1974
But for a problem that models the
that QCD theory be formulated as a
flow of air over an airplane wing, the
three-dimensional lattice, an array
behavior of the atmosphere or a lat-
that divides space and time into dis-
tice of elementary particles, comput-
crete points. Such a lattice, physicists
ers that are composed of hundreds of
say, only approximates actual space-
simple processors are increasingly
time, but it permits them to make
viewed as more powerful.
calculations that would not be possi-
"It doesn't take long for a scientist
ble otherwise.
to recognize that a lattice problem
Using a mathematical technique
obviously corresponds to a grid of
known as the Monte Carlo method it
processors," said Dr. Nash.
is possible to explore QCD theory by
The newest MAPS supercomputer
making the lattice mesh progressive-
is a second-generation machine
ly finer until in principle the physical
based on development work that Fer-
quantities found Our the lattice con-
milab researchers have done in the
verge on the values that QCD theory
past three years. Running since 1989,
predicts. The Monte Carlo method is
the machine is capable of reaching
a mathematical technique that uses
peak speeds of five billion mathemat-
sequences of random numbers to
ical operations per second, or giga-
solve problems that might otherwise
flops, roughly equivalent to the power
prove unsolvable.
of today's fastest commercial super-
The Monte Carlo technique is also
computers. MAPS, built at the cost of
appropriate to massively parallel
$1 million, is now being upgraded
computers, making it an ideal ap-
with a new processor board based on
proach for the specialized supercom-
two Intel i860 microprocessor chips.
puters that are now being designed to
When it is finished it will be expanded
to 300 nodes and be able to reach peak
Speeds of 50 gigaflops.
MAPS differs from some of the
other special-purpose QCD machines
in that it is actually a general-pur-
pose supercomputer that could be
programmed to perform other scien-
tific calculations. Fermilab physi-
cists have designed their own parallel
programming language, known as
Canopy, that could be used for a vari-
ety of scientific calculations. But Dr.
Nash said that so far MAPS work has
focused only on theoretical physics
problems.
Brute force number-crunching,
with computers capable of ever
greater number of cycles per second,
is the key to testing QCD, one of the
intellectual triumphs of modern phys-
ics. "QCD is a very simple theory,"
said Dr. Christ. "The system is very
simple, it's just a question of getting
the cycles."
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1991
B3
TECHNOLOGY
Digital Equipment Says It Will Enter
Digital also unveiled as expected a line
of "fault-tolerant" computers-machines
designed to keep crunching numbers even
Market for Massively Parallel Computers
if a part fails. They are used in banking
and other applications where a computer
failure would be seriously disruptive.
By JOHN R. WILKE
chines from broad commercial use and
While some of the details of the an-
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
that Digital would concentrate more on
nouncement had been reported, Digital
A Digital Equipment Corp. executive
solving those problems than on any partic-
said Digital would enter the fast-growing
still managed to surprise some analysts
ular machine design. "The hardware actu-
market for massively parallel computers
with the aggressive pricing of an
ally is the easy part," he said.
within a year.
entry-level model at just $46,000. Larger
None of the major computer makers
Robert M. Glorioso, vice president, said
models range in price to as high as $1 mil-
has a significant presence yet in the mas-
"Digital is working on massively parallel
lion fully configured.
sively parallel field. Smaller companies,
computer architectures" that would proba-
however, have found it an increasingly hot
bly be aimed initially at scientific and
field, led by closely held Thinking Ma-
technical markets. He said Digital engi-
chines. Sales of the Cambridge, Mass.,
neers have conducted extensive research
company doubled to an estimated $60 mil-
over the years in massively parallel com-
lion last year.
puter design, in which scores or even hun-
After a late start, Japanese companies
dreds of smaller processors are tied to-
also are investing heavily in massively
gether to function as one computer.
parallel technologies. And while commer-
"It's time to test this technology to see
cial applications have been slow to de-
where it can really play," he said in an in-
velop, some companies-including Dow
terview. Despite a slow start in commer-
Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street
cial markets, "the whole industry is look-
Journal-have used it to perform fast
ing at it more closely now."
Indeed, massively parallel designs are
searches of huge electronic text libraries,
increasingly overtaking conventional ma-
or of consumer marketing databases. Sci-
chines in raw power. In a closely watched
entific and engineering uses also are prolif-
independent test disclosed yesterday by
erating.
Mr. Glorioso's comments left the door
University of Tennesee researcher Jack
Dongarra, a parallel computer by Thinking
open for a number of differing approaches
Machines Corp. was declared the world's
to the emerging market, including the pos-
fastest. In a widely accepted benchmark,
sibility of a joint venture. Indeed, Digital
the machine hit 5.2 gigaflops, or billion
insiders hint the company's first move
floating-point operations per second. A
could be a joint effort with MasPar Com-
Japanese-built computer by Fujitsu Ltd.
puter Corp. The Sunnyvale, Calif., com-
took second place.
pany is headed by a former Digital engi-
Mr. Glorioso wouldn't be more specific
neer who worked on massively parallel de-
about the Maynard, Mass.-based com-
signs within Digital before departing for
pany's intentions. suggesting only that it
California in 1987. Digital also has done
would involve what he called a "systems
some joint marketing with Thinking Ma-
approach" rather than a single product.
chines, mostly in research markets.
He added that software has long been a
Jeffrey Kalb, the former Digital engi-
barrier preventing massively parallel ma-
neer who is now MasPar's president,
wouldn't discuss what form any expanded
relationship with Digital might take execpt
to say that "we continue to talk about
ways to work more closely together." A
Thinking Machines spokesman said the
company continues to work with Digital on
some joint sales.
return please. for
files Thanks
9121034
an Article from
SCIENTIFIC
AMERICAN
COPYRIGHT © 1991 BY SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
MARCH, 1991 VOL. 264 NO. 3
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SA391
The Tevatron
Because it produces antiprotons, accelerates them in a ring using
superconducting magnets and smashes them into protons, it is now
the world's most powerful source of data on elementary particles
by Leon M. Lederman
O
n July 3, 1983, my colleagues
master the technology of supercon-
poured in from many institutions, in-
and I at Fermi National Acceler-
ducting magnets in accelerators, and
cluding, in particular, the U.S. Depart-
ator Laboratory (Fermilab) near
it marked the beginning of an era in
ment of Energy (DOE), which had allo-
Chicago started the countdown for the
the physics of matter, energy, space
cated the funding.
inaugural run of the world's first su-
and time. The new "atom smasher"
During the past eight years, Fermilab
perconducting synchrotron, the Teva-
was heralded in newspapers across the
has taken many steps to ensure that the
tron. It would send a trillion protons
U.S. and was praised in messages that
Tevatron will remain a preeminent fa-
on a speed-of-light journey, ending in a
collision unlike any that has occurred
since very shortly after the birth of
the universe. The Tevatron would also
8
7
launch physicists on an unrivaled ad-
venture in understanding the nature of
matter and the discipline of building
and operating colossal accelerators.
To begin the test, we activated the
Main Ring, Fermilab's older synchro-
tron, to energize the positively charged
1
protons to a mere 120 billion electron
volts (GeV). In a nerve-racking instant
the protons were injected into the Teva-
tron, where more than 1,000 supercon-
ducting magnets literally took charge.
The magnets efficiently produced a
1. COCKCROFT-WALTON AND
powerful field to guide the protons
2
LINEAR ACCELERATORS ISOLATE
around a 6.3-kilometer circular path
AND PROPEL PROTONS TO
no more than a few millimeters wide.
HIGH ENERGIES
In the control room, technicians su-
2. A SYNCHROTRON CALLED THE
pervised the computer program that
BOOSTER ACCELERATES PROTONS,
ramped the magnets up in precise syn-
TO 8 GEV
chrony with the increasing energy of
3. MAIN RING ACCELERATES
the protons: 200, 300, 400 GeV. When
PARTICLES TO 150 GEV
the magnetic field reached test-level
strength, the protons were smashed
into a target at a world record 512 GeV.
The feat capped a 10-year effort to
LEON M. LEDERMAN is former direc-
tor of the Fermi National Accelerator
Laboratory (Fermilab) and holds the
Frank E. Sulzberger Professorship at the
University of Chicago. In 1951 he re-
ceived his Ph.D. from Columbia Univer-
sity. He managed Columbia's Nevis Lab-
oratories from 1962 until 1979, when he
5
4
took up his post at Fermilab. He shared
the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physics for the
discovery of the muon neutrino. He is
one of the founders of the Academy for
Mathematics and Science Teachers, an
institution for improving education in
kindergarten through 12th grade.
TEVATRON, the world's most powerful particle accelerator, propels protons (blue
arrows) and antiprotons (red arrows) to 900 billion electron volts (GeV) and col-
48
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN March 1991
cility for particle physics. Fermilab has
improved the superconducting mag-
net system, developed an antiproton
source and constructed a particle de-
tector. The Tevatron can now collide
900-GeV protons with 900-GeV anti-
protons to generate an unmatched 1.8
trillion electron volts (TeV).
With each burst of energy, the Teva-
tron creates a host of exotic particles,
producing data of unprecedented qual-
ity. The Tevatron has confirmed many
predictions of the Standard Model, the
central theory of elementary particles.
It has also allowed investigators to ex-
plore a domain where "no human eye-
ball has ever set foot," according to a
student with a penchant for mixing
metaphors.
The Standard Model proposes that
matter is composed of six kinds of
quarks and six leptons, and so far all
these particles have appeared in ex-
3
4. TARGET STRUCK BY
7. COLLIDER DETECTOR AT
HIGH-ENERGY PROTONS
FERMILAB (CDF) MEASURES
PRODUCES ANTIPROTONS
THE TRAJECTORIES AND
ENERGIES OF PARTICLES
5. DEBUNCHER AND ACCUMULATOR
PRODUCED IN THE COLLISION
RINGS COOL AND STORE
BETWEEN PROTONS AND
ANTIPROTONS
ANTIPROTONS
6. TEVATRON RING ACCELERATES
8. PROTONS CAN BE EXTRACTED
PROTONS AND ANTIPROTONS
FROM THE TEVATRON FOR
TO 900 GEV
FIXED-TARGET EXPERIMENTS
6
lides them at an energy of 1,800 GeV. The resulting debris
ics. Lessons learned from building the machine will help
has been analyzed to help secure the foundations of phys-
guide the development of the Superconducting Supercollider.
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN March 1991
49
periments except for the sixth quark,
liders sacrifice a high collision rate for
power consumption, while its electrici-
known as top. As the Tevatron evolves
greater energies.
ty costs increased sixfold.) Because su-
during the next five years, it will gen-
During the 1970s, the two proton
perconducting components do not re-
erate, by most physicists' reckoning,
synchrotrons-the Super Proton Syn-
sist the flow of electricity at all, a su-
enough collisions to produce the top
chrotron at CERN and the Main Ring
perconducting magnet system would
quark. If it does not emerge, the Stan-
at Fermilab-were competing fiercely.
consume considerably less power than
dard Model will face a major crisis.
Both laboratories were pushed to im-
a conventional one would. How best
The elusiveness of the top quark is
prove their machines to study the Stan-
to use the new technology was not at
connected to the most seminal issues
dard Model and the fundamental inter-
all clear. I therefore consulted with an
confronting particle physics. Why do
actions of nature-the weak, electro-
outside group of accelerator geniuses
all quarks and leptons have different
magnetic and strong forces.
dubbed the three wise men: Boyce D.
masses? Does an undiscovered force of
In 1977 CERN went all out to convert
McDaniel of Cornell University, Burton
nature bestow mass on a particle? Are
its machine from a proton synchrotron
Richter of Stanford University and Mat-
quarks and leptons composed of even
to a proton-antiproton collider because
thew Sands of the University of Califor-
smaller particles? What do the interac-
it sought to confirm or refute the exis-
nia at Santa Cruz.
tions between quarks and leptons sug-
tence of the so-called intermediate vec-
gest about the high-energy environ-
tor bosons (the W+, W⁻ and Z⁰). These
O
n November 11, 1978, I held a
ment of the early universe? Theorists
massive particles are responsible for
staff meeting to discuss the
have devised many explanations, which
the weak force. From 1977 to 1981
long-range plans of the labora-
have exotic names such as supersym-
CERN developed a device that collected
tory. It was Armistice Day, an appropri-
metry, technicolor, constituent models
and stored antiprotons. The device then
ate time to call a truce among several
and superstrings. The Tevatron seeks
squeezed the antiprotons into small
groups who had opposing ideas about
to illuminate the speculative jungle.
bunches using a technique called sto-
how to use the superconductor tech-
chastic cooling. The antiprotons were
nology. After 18 continuous hours of
T
he Tevatron program began more
then injected into the CERN Super Pro-
passionate debate, a clear consensus
than 15 years ago in anticipa-
ton Synchrotron, where they eventually
emerged-at least it seemed clear to
tion of the needs of the particle
smashed head-on into protons.
me and my advisers. We came up with
physicist today. During the 1970s, ele-
In 1983 and 1984 CERN discovered
two major initiatives. First, we would
mentary particle physics progressed as
the W and Z particles. For this accom-
build an accelerator based on a super-
two kinds of accelerators propelled
plishment, Carlo Rubbia, the leader of
conducting magnet system and install
particles to ever higher energies. Syn-
one of the experimental groups, and Si-
it in the 6.3-kilometer tunnel occupied
chrotrons at Fermilab and the European
mon van der Meer, the inventor of sto-
by the Main Ring. This machine would
laboratory for particle physics (CERN)
chastic cooling, won the 1984 Nobel
smash protons into fixed targets as be-
near Geneva smashed protons into
Prize [see "The Search for Intermediate
fore but at an energy level more than
fixed targets, and accelerators at Stan-
Vector Bosons," by David B. Cline, Car-
two times higher. Second, like CERN, we
ford University, Cornell University and
lo Rubbia and Simon van der Meer; SCI-
would construct an intense source of
the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron
ENTIFIC AMERICAN, March 1982].
antiprotons, inject them into the accel-
(DESY) in Hamburg collided electrons
Fermilab chose a different route to
erator and collide them with protons.
with their antimatter twins, positrons.
advance the field of high-energy phys-
The goal was to accelerate protons
Although the proton synchrotrons
ics. The increasing power of the Super
and antiprotons to 1 TeV and produce
could accelerate particles to much high-
Proton Synchrotron was a major con-
about 50,000 collisions per second at a
er energies than the electron-positron
cern to Robert R. Wilson, Fermilab's vi-
total energy of 2 TeV.
colliders, they were in the final analysis
sionary first director. He realized that
From 1979 to 1987 the program was
no more powerful than the colliders.
if Fermilab could develop a super-
implemented as envisioned in the 1978
When a proton boosted to, say, 1,000
conducting magnet system, it could
plan, at a cost of about $250 million.
GeV is smashed into a target, most
ultimately build an accelerator more
The DOE supervised and funded the
of its energy is expended to acceler-
powerful than CERN'S. The proposed
program, but not without Sturm und
ate the particles produced in the colli-
Fermilab machine could boost charged
Drang. The saving grace was Andrew E.
sions. Only 42 GeV is available to pro-
particles to higher energies because
Mravca, a DOE official who believed in
duce new particles. Here the colliders
superconducting magnets can produce
the program and knew how to negoti-
have an advantage. When particles col-
a much stronger field than can con-
ate skillfully with a bureaucracy.
lide head-on, their combined energy is
ventional systems. In 1973, therefore,
The story of the Tevatron is a very
available for creating particles or ex-
Wilson started a program to develop
human one, dominated by a collection
ploring a new energy regime. Hence, a
superconducting magnets for a new
of heroic figures. Physicists, profes-
1,000-GeV proton that smashes head-
accelerator. Later Alvin V. Tollestrup,
sional engineers and a corps of gifted
on with a 1,000-GeV antiproton releas-
who came to Fermilab in 1975 from
amateurs devoted themselves to mak-
es 2,000 GeV.
the California Institute of Technology,
ing the Tevatron the world's most
The power of an accelerator is not
became the intellectual leader in devel-
powerful accelerator. If a single factor
measured by its energy alone, however.
oping these magnets.
accounts for the success of this enter-
An accelerator must generate enough
As director-designate of Fermilab in
prise, it was the happy juxtaposition of
high-energy collisions to produce sta-
the fall of 1978, I reviewed various
physicists and engineers.
tistically significant results. Collision
proposals to build an accelerator that
When Fermilab set out to design the
rates are generally lower for colliders
would use superconducting magnets.
Tevatron in 1979, we knew it would
than for fixed-target machines because
We concluded that such magnets not
be significantly more complex than
particles in a diffuse beam are much
only could sustain a more powerful ac-
any previous accelerator. The Tevatron
more likely to collide with a dense,
celerator but could also reduce con-
would require a huge cryogenic system
fixed target than with particles from
sumption of electricity. (From 1972 to
to cool the magnets below the temper-
another diffuse beam. Overall, the col-
1978 Fermilab had nearly doubled its
ature at which they become supercon-
50
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN March 1991
ductors. It would need an intricate vac-
uum system to provide both thermal
insulation and a clear space in which to
accelerate particles. It would demand
an elaborate safety network to protect
the apparatus and workers from the
energy stored in the particle beams
and the magnet system. It would in-
volve high-speed computers to moni-
tor and control such parameters as the
temperature, pressure, field strength,
CABLE TRAY
radiation level and beam position. Fi-
nally, the Tevatron would entail sophis-
COOLING
ticated particle detectors to measure
WATER
the energies and trajectories of parti-
PIPE
cles formed in collisions between pro-
tons and antiprotons. Each of these sys-
POWER BUS
MAIN RING
tems took years to design and build.
MAGNET SYSTEM
J. Richie Orr was in charge of the
Tevatron project. Helen T. Edwards be-
CENTER
came Orr's deputy and technical man-
OF RING
PARTICLES
ager. Machine guru Thomas L. Collins
was principal designer of the accelera-
tor system. Tollestrup and Wilson, with
help from Richard A. Lundy, were re-
MAGNET
SUPPORT
sponsible for the assembly line to pro-
SYSTEM
duce, test and modify magnets.
The superconducting accelerator
SUPERCONDUCTING
MAGNET SYSTEM
magnets posed major technical chal-
lenges. The magnets must confine par-
PARTICLES
ticles within a one-centimeter region
in the center of the vacuum tube as
HELIUM COLLECTION PIPE
they steer the particles around a 6.3-
kilometer orbit, 50,000 times a second.
NITROGEN COLLECTION PIPE
The accelerator magnets generate a
POWER CONDUIT
field as electric currents flow through
superconducting wires. The quality of
the field depends on the precision with
which the superconducting wires are
placed around the vacuum tube.
To guide particles, the magnets have
VACUUM SHELL
to generate a nearly perfect dipole
field-one described by a north pole
LIQUID NITROGEN
above the orbit and a south pole below.
o
PIPE
Because it is practically impossible to
do so, such magnets as quadrupoles
INSULATING
and octopoles were needed to correct
VACUUM PIPE
for errors in the dipole field.
Accomplishing this task presents
several formidable engineering prob-
LIQUID HELIUM PIPE
lems. Huge forces push on the wires
when they carry the electric currents
that create the required magnetic field.
The stainless steel clamps that hold the
wires must withstand tons of force
without yielding more than a thou-
sandth of a centimeter over the 6.4-me-
ter length of each dipole magnet.
Perhaps the most obstinate problem
occurs during the acceleration of parti-
cles, when the currents change rapidly
STAINLESS
and increase to 4,000 amperes in about
STEEL
30 seconds. Changing fields tend to
COLLAR
MAGNET COIL
BEAM TUBE
shake and twist wires, creating friction
FERMILAB TUNNEL (top) houses the Main Ring and the superconducting magnet sys-
and heat, which are anathema to the
tem that makes up the Tevatron. The tunnel is 3.0 meters wide and 2.4 meters high.
superconducting state. The solution to
In 1982 the Tevatron was installed underneath the Main Ring. One of the Tevatron's
these problems evolved over a decade
dipole magnets appears in the cross section at the bottom. Liquid helium and ni-
of research in laboratories around the
trogen cool the magnet system. They are then collected as gases and recycled.
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN March 1991
51
world, but Fermilab's physicists and
to about 1,000 sticks of dynamite. Sec-
Tollestrup and Roy F. Schwitters of
engineers were the first to achieve suc-
ond, the beam accelerated by the Teva-
Harvard University supervised the de-
cess in the period from 1973 to 1979.
tron to 1 TeV is equivalent to more
velopment of the Collider Detector at
Fabrication of the superconducting
than 10 million joules, enough to drill a
Fermilab (CDF) until 1988, when Schwit-
wire was still an exotic technology in
hole through the surrounding magnet.
ters left to direct the Superconducting
1979. The alloy of niobium and titani-
Third, the magnets require 25,000 li-
Supercollider Laboratory in Dallas and
um, after elaborate metallurgical treat-
ters of liquid helium, which could rap-
was replaced by Melvyn J. Shochet of
ment, was packed into hollow copper
idly expand to 50 million liters of gas,
the University of Chicago. More than
tubes. A set of 2,000 rods was then
enough to fill a blimp as long as a foot-
200 scientists-including workers from
bundled together in a copper shell 250
ball field and five stories high. Each of
10 universities, national laboratories
millimeters wide. The assembly was
these energy sources raises a host of
and institutions in Japan and Italy-
heated in an oven, extruded through a
terrifying engineering problems.
helped to build the detector.
press and drawn through dies to make
For instance, if a tiny fraction of the
CDF could be characterized as a
strands 0.6 millimeter in diameter and
particle beam hit several superconduct-
5,000-ton Swiss watch. It represents a
50 kilometers long. The niobium-titani-
ing wires, the particles could heat the
state-of-the-art device for examining
um rods became fine filaments 10 mi-
wires enough to cause them to cease
more than 100,000 collisions per sec-
crons in diameter separated from one
superconducting, a process known as
ond. The energies of the resulting par-
another by a sheath of copper, which
quenching. The wires would then resist
ticles are measured by numerous heat
acts as an insulator at superconducting
the flow of electricity, dissipate power
sensors; the particles' trajectories are
temperatures (below five kelvins). When
and consequently heat themselves and
recorded by a wire mesh that carries
23 strands are woven together to form
adjacent wires to even higher tem-
the electric pulses produced when
a cable, they can carry 5,000 amperes
peratures. Hence, the enormous energy
charged particles pass nearby. For each
at superconducting temperatures.
stored in the magnetic field could be
of the 30 or more particles produced in
A mass-production assembly line for
released, heating the helium and ex-
a typical collision, CDF produces more
the superconducting magnets was su-
panding it in pipes at explosive rates.
than 10,000 bits of information about
pervised by Lundy. His group built
To protect against such a disaster, Fer-
its trajectory and energy. In more than
about 100 small models and several
milab designed an automatic shutdown
100 billion collisions it examined, CDF
hundred prototypes before they could
procedure, which would in rapid se-
selected for detailed analysis about five
get the magnets to perform satisfac-
quence extract the beam from the ma-
million events that were of "more than
torily. They then fabricated about 900
chine, drain the currents from the mag-
routine interest."
dipoles, 250 quadrupoles and hundreds
nets and vent the evaporating helium
The Tevatron, the antiproton source
of other types of magnets used to cor-
into a large pipe.
and CDF were baptized in a series of
rect imperfections in the fields of the
In June of 1982 Fermilab suspended
experiments that began in January of
dipoles and quadrupoles. The total in-
operation of the Main Ring, and Peter J.
1987. These systems required the most
cluded a reasonable number of spares
Limon, C. Thornton Murphy and Lau-
sophisticated choreography of acceler-
to replace magnets that might fail in
rence D. Sauer began supervising the
ator rings ever attempted. The proce-
operation.
orchestrated chaos involved in assem-
dure for accelerating particles in the
In 1980 Fermilab built a large facility
bling the Tevatron. At the peak of ac-
Tevatron is reminiscent of a NASA
to test each magnet for mechanical,
tivity, some 200 technicians, welders,
launch. Control room technicians re-
cryogenic and magnetic properties. The
electricians, engineers and physicists
view an elaborate checklist before they
vital statistics of each magnet were
occupied the tunnel. All the resources
initiate the process that ends in pro-
logged into a computer program that
of Fermilab were focused on fabricat-
ton-antiproton collisions.
later served to advise where in the ring
ing the 1,200 superconducting devices
In the first step, negative hydrogen
the magnet should be placed to cancel
as well as the associated power sup-
ions composed of two electrons and
residual field errors.
plies, utility components, refrigerators
one proton are released in a device
and cryogenic connections.
called a Cockcroft-Walton accelerator,
O provide enough coolant for all
After workers assembled all the
T
which produces an electromagnetic
the superconducting magnets,
parts, made all the connections and
field to propel the ions to an energy of
physicist William B. Fowler and
sealed all the leaks, they cooled the
750,000 electron volts. The ions then
engineer Claus H. Rode directed the
magnets to an operating temperature
enter a 150-meter-long linear accelera-
construction of the cryogenic system.
of 4.7 kelvins. In June of 1983 Fermi-
tor. By inducing an oscillating electric
A major component was a liquid-he-
lab injected the first bunch of protons
field between a series of electrodes, the
lium plant that for a time was the
from the Main Ring into the Tevatron.
linear accelerator boosts ions to an en-
world's largest. The facility can now
ergy of 200 million electron volts. The
produce simultaneously 4,500 liters of
A
the Tevatron began demonstrat-
ions then pass through a carbon foil,
liquid helium per hour and a compara-
ing its power, Fermilab focused
extracting the protons from the ions.
ble amount of liquid nitrogen. Liquid
its attention on the antiproton
In the second step, the protons are
nitrogen had previously been delivered
source and the detector for the proton-
guided into the Booster, a synchrotron
by commercial trailers, one arriving ev-
antiproton collider. John Peoples, Jr.,
500 meters in circumference, where
ery four hours.
managed the antiproton source proj-
the energy is raised to 8 GeV. The pro-
In addition to meeting the specifica-
ect along with his systems chiefs, John
tons are then injected into the Main
tions of the Tevatron, designers of the
D. McCarthy, Gerald Dugan, Stephen
Ring. Here more than 1,000 conven-
magnet and cryogenic systems devised
Holmes and Ernest Malamud. Their am-
tional, copper-coiled magnets continu-
safety measures to manage three awe-
bitious goal was to build a facility that
ously guide and accelerate protons.
some sources of stored energy that
would produce, collect and store at least
In the third step, protons are focused
could destroy the machine. First, the
10 billion antiprotons per hour SO that
into short bunches at 120 GeV. They
Tevatron's magnets store as much as
the antiprotons could be injected into
are then extracted from the Main Ring
400 million joules of energy, equivalent
the accelerator in a series of bunches.
and strike a copper target, producing
52
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN March 1991
COLLIDER DETECTOR AT FERMILAB records more than
cle beams so that collisions take place in the detector's cen-
100,000 proton-antiproton collisions per second. The 5,000-
ter. The arches pushed to the side for maintenance are part
ton apparatus slides into alignment with the Tevatron's parti-
of the calorimeter, which measures the energies of particles.
antiprotons.
About 20 million antipro-
tons, the Debuncher uses two cooling
contains some 200 billion antiprotons,
tons can be collected from each pulse.
processes. The first, called debunching,
enough for a "shot" to the Main Ring.
The antiprotons are then focused by a
is a Fermilab innovation. As a bunch of
lithium lens-a cylinder of liquid lithi-
antiprotons circulates around the ring,
um that transforms a current pulse of
a complex, computer-coded radiofre-
M
eanwhile, during the fourth
and fifth steps, the Main Ring
600,000 amperes into a focusing mag-
quency voltage speeds up slower parti-
accelerates 500 billion protons
netic field.
cles and slows down faster ones, there-
to 150 GeV. The protons are then
In the fourth step, the lithium lens
by decreasing the energy distribution
transferred to the Tevatron ring where
directs the antiprotons to the first an-
of the stored beam. The other process,
they await the antiprotons.
tiproton storage ring, known as the De-
stochastic cooling, decreases the side-
In the sixth step, a portion of the
buncher, which is about 520 meters in
ways motion of antiprotons. In this
stored antiproton beam is transferred
circumference. The Debuncher is de-
method, particles whose orbits are far
to the Main Ring. The antiprotons are
signed to squeeze the antiprotons into
from ideal are identified by sensors,
boosted to 150 GeV in the Main Ring
as compact a "space" as possible. One
which then send correction signals to
and then injected into the Tevatron
can begin to understand how the De-
kicker electrodes that adjust the paths
ring where protons have patiently been
buncher works if one can imagine sit-
of the errant particles.
circulating. Because the protons are
ting on an antiproton in the middle of
After the Debuncher squeezes the
positively charged and the antiprotons
a bunch. From this interesting but pre-
beam in energy and size, the fifth step
are negatively charged, the protons cir-
carious vantage point, one can see oth-
begins: it sends about 20 billion an-
culate in a direction counter to that of
er antiprotons-some racing faster,
tiprotons per hour to a concentric ring
the antiprotons. The antiproton bunch-
some moving slower and some oscillat-
called the Accumulator. Several inde-
es pass through the proton bunches
ing from side to side. All in all, the an-
pendent systems in the Accumulator
many times, but at this stage the
tiprotons take up a great deal of space,
cool the beam of antiprotons further,
bunches are much too diffuse for sig-
making it difficult to manipulate the
ultimately increasing the density of an-
nificant collisions to take place.
assembly and add more antiprotons.
tiprotons by a factor of one million. Af-
During the first 60 seconds of the
To increase the density of antipro-
ter four hours, the accumulator ring
final step, both bunches of particles are
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN March 1991
53
COMPUTER DISPLAYS represent particles forged by the colli-
The "Lego plots" at the right show where the particles hit the
sions between protons and antiprotons in the Tevatron. The
Collider Detector and indicate how much energy the particles
diagrams at the left indicate the trajectories of the particles.
released. The pair of displays (above) show a Z⁰ particle de-
accelerated to full energy. Strong quad-
three quarks and many force-carry-
far the results from CDF agree with the
rupole magnets in the Tevatron's ring
ing particles called gluons. The antipro-
Standard Model. If quarks do have a
then squeeze the particles together.
ton is, similarly, an antimess. It seemed
finite radius, it is less than 2 10⁻¹⁹
During this stage the delicate stability
plausible that a collision between a pro-
meters (that is, at least 4,000 times
of the circulating bunches can easily be
ton and an antiproton could have pro-
smaller than the radius of a proton).
disrupted, scattering particles every-
duced an indecipherable hodgepodge in
To determine crucial parameters of
where. If all goes well, the beams are
which most particles would mask the
electromagnetic and weak forces, Fer-
focused down to a diameter of about
interesting behavior of others. It turned
milab has studied the masses and de-
0.1 millimeter, comparable to the di-
out, however, that most particles pro-
cay properties of the W+, W- and Z°
ameter of a human hair. The focusing
duced in the collision were so low in
particles. Although the 1987 results
greatly increases the density of each
energy as to be mere spectators of the
from CDF gave the most precise value
bunch. Each time the bunches cross,
main events. Only a few high-energy
for the Z⁰ mass, this was very soon su-
there is now a 50 percent chance that a
particles emerged, indicating a clean
perseded by the "Z" factories, Stan-
single proton will collide with a single
collision between one quark in a proton
ford's and CERN'S electron-positron col-
antiproton. According to the original
and another quark in an antiproton.
liders. On the other hand, CDF sup-
design, more than 50,000 collisions per
A variety of high-energy particles can
plemented by results from the CERN
second should take place in the center
be resolved by CDF. Electrons, mu-
proton-antiproton collider provides the
of the particle detector.
ons and photons are easily identified
primary data on W properties.
The first series of collider experi-
by their trajectories and energies. The
In the past two decades, physicists
ments ended in May 1987, and a sec-
quarks appear as jets, that is, bundles
have come to recognize that the weak
ond series was started in July 1988 and
of pions, protons, neutrons and kaons.
and electromagnetic forces are expres-
ran for 11 months. During that period
Short-lived particles such as W and Z
sions of a more profound interaction
the Tevatron achieved a collision ener-
also decay into a recognizable spray. In
now designated the electroweak force.
gy of 1.8 TeV. The collision rate im-
many cases, neutrinos, which are not
Fermilab has precisely measured a cru-
proved from a few hundred per sec-
recorded by CDF, can be located by not-
cial parameter of the electroweak force,
ond to 120,000 per second, more than
ing "missing" momentum.
the so-called weak mixing angle. This
twice the design rate. The Tevatron
parameter essentially describes the rel-
produced a total of about 100 billion
B
y the end of 1990, Fermilab in-
ative strengths of the electromagnetic
collisions between protons and an-
vestigators had published some
and the weak forces in their elec-
tiprotons. Furthermore, it could sustain
25 papers. These detailed such
troweak alliance.
a beam of circulating particles for as
new insights as the size of quarks, the
Fermilab has recently reported excit-
long as 20 hours, but over time the
nature of the weak and electromagnet-
ing evidence for the production of B
beams would slowly decrease in size
ic forces, the properties of "bottom"
mesons (particles made of a bottom
and density as they were scattered by
quarks and the lower limit of the mass
quark and an antidown or antistrange
residual gases in the vacuum tube and
of the top quark.
quark). The run in 1989 recorded about
by other effects that are not yet un-
The Standard Model assumes that
as many B meson events as those ob-
derstood. The Tevatron accomplished
quarks are truly fundamental: they
served in all the electron-positron col-
these feats using only 20 megawatts of
have neither structure nor spatial di-
liders combined. The 1991 run should
power (as compared with Fermilab's
mension; they are point particles with
increase the yield by 100 times in the
consumption of 60 megawatts in 1979).
no radius. If so, quarks should scatter
CDF detector.
One of the most satisfying aspects of
off one another in different ways than
Physicists generally believe that a de-
these first experiments was to confirm
they would if they have a finite radius
tailed study of the decay of B mesons
the hypothesis that proton-antiproton
or any type of structure. Investigators
will lead to a better understanding of
collisions can be analyzed in a straight-
may be able to determine whether
the origin of matter. In recent years we
forward manner. This hypothesis is not
quarks have structure, therefore, by
have learned that the origin of matter
obvious when one considers that the
studying the distribution of jets pro-
in the early universe was derived from
proton is a mess: it is composed of
duced in collisions between quarks. So
a tiny violation of a deep symmetry of
54
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN March 1991
PERMITM
098
caying into an electron and a positron. In the other pair, a
represents the interior of the detector as though the cylindri-
quark degenerates into two jets containing protons, neu-
cal device were cut across the top and flattened. The ener-
trons, mesons and other baryons. The grid in the Lego plots
gy scale (labeled "ET") is given in billions of electron volts.
matter and antimatter, known as the
ties of particles carrying the "charm"
1995, a 3-TeV proton accelerator at the
charge-parity symmetry. Hence, the
quark. In a 1987 run, this experiment
Soviet accelerator laboratory at Serpuk-
study of this symmetry violation in B
amassed more fully analyzed charm
hov. The most dramatic occurrence,
mesons will be a major focus of Teva-
events than had previously been col-
however-certainly from the perspec-
tron during the next decade.
lected by all the world's facilities since
tive of the U.S.-is the decision to build
One of Fermilab's highest priorities
the charm quark was discovered in
the Superconducting Supercollider. It
has been to search for events that
1975. The result was a bonanza of data
will use 10,000 superconducting mag-
would suggest the production and de-
on lifetimes, new states and modes
nets in a pair of 20-TeV proton rings.
cay of a top quark. So far CDF has ob-
of decay.
As the Tevatron program enters
served only one dubious event. Apply-
The Tevatron entered final phase of
its second decade, it maintains an
ing theoretical predictions for the num-
its program in July 1989, when I retired
approach consistent with Fermilab's
ber of events that should have been
as director of Fermilab and was suc-
founding philosophy: the laboratory
observed in the CDF data for any as-
ceeded by John Peoples, Jr. The pro-
exists to serve the university science
sumed mass of the top quark, CDF con-
gram, called Fermi III, includes, notably,
community. It is important to point out
cluded that the mass of the top quark
a more powerful linear accelerator and
that the typical university group that
is greater than 90 GeV.
a new Main Ring to inject particles into
collaborates at Fermilab is about the
Why is the top quark so much heav-
the Tevatron. Fermi III should improve
same size as those that do experimen-
ier than its closest relative, the 5-GeV
the collision rate of the Tevatron from
tal science anywhere in the university.
bottom quark? The answer is connect-
120,000 per second to more than six
Fermilab and other "big science" proj-
ed to the most interesting issue in par-
million per second. Because of these
ects should be judged on the scientific
ticle physics-the nature of mass and
improvements, by 1996 the Tevatron
value of their work and the opportuni-
the mechanisms by which the particles
should be sensitive to a top quark with
ties they provide to both experienced
of matter acquire mass. The most ele-
a mass as high as 250 GeV.
professors and young investigators.
gant theories predict that the quarks
Fermi III also plans to complete a
Oceanographers, astronomers, genome
should have small or vanishing mass.
second detector called DZERO for ex-
biologists and particle physicists have
Is the top quark just an anomalous-
periments to begin in 1992. DZERO in-
been wrestling with the problem of
ly heavy spectator, or is it the key to
corporates a great deal of the experi-
managing large, shared facilities for
the internal structure of the Standard
ence acquired by CERN in its pioneer-
some time. We must learn to cope with
Model? The Tevatron is now the only
ing proton-antiproton research. Paul D.
the human problems, particularly the
accelerator in the world that can ad-
Grannis of the State University of New
preservation of creativity and initiative,
dress this issue. In the next decade CDF
York at Stony Brook and H. Eugene
if we are to continue to probe nature's
is planning to increase its sensitivity
Fisk of Fermilab led the DZERO project
deepest secrets.
gradually to find the top quark.
and enjoyed assistance from some 17
U.S. and foreign institutions. As the
D
uring the past six years, while
detectors are gradually improved to
FURTHER READING
Fermilab developed and used
match the machine's performance, the
SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNET TECHNOLO-
the Tevatron collider, it con-
Tevatron will seek again to peer inside
GY FOR ACCELERATORS. R. Palmer and
tinued to produce important results
the quark and the electron, and it will
A. V. Tollestrup in Annual Review of
with the fixed-target program. Here the
subject the Standard Model to tests of
Nuclear and Particle Science, Vol. 34,
power of the Tevatron was used to cre-
great precision.
pages 247-284; 1984.
ate beams of muons, neutrinos, pions
Fermilab's pioneering efforts in su-
WORLDS WITHIN THE AToM. John Bos-
and other particles. The Tevatron's high
perconducting magnet technology will
lough in National Geographic, Vol. 167,
energy and superior time structure
strongly influence the future of acceler-
No. 5, pages 634-663; May 1985.
have yielded data of unequaled preci-
ators. Several machines will soon use
FROM QUARKS TO THE COSMOS: TOOLS OF
DISCOVERY. Leon M. Lederman and Da-
sion for more than 20 experiments.
superconducting magnet technologies,
vid N. Schramm. Scientific American Li-
One of the most interesting exam-
including, this year, the 800-GeV pro-
brary, 1989.
ples is the research on the proper-
ton ring at the DESY laboratory and, in
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN March 1990
55
What Controls the Cell Cycle
Although the recursive events leading to the birth of new cells are well
known, biologists are only now learning how those events are regulated.
One protein is the major regulator in virtually all organisms
by Andrew W. Murray and Marc W. Kirschner
B
y 1900 scientists had already
ing of the first transcontinental rail-
sperm. Hence, if the cells of successive
identified the basic events of the
road in the U.S., during which two sep-
generations of an organism are to con-
cell cycle-the growth and divi-
arate groups labored in splendid iso-
tain the same number of chromosomes
sion of a single cell into daughter cells.
lation before uniting their tracks with
as the cells of the parents, the egg and
Yet until recently, little was known
a golden spike at Promontory Point,
sperm must each carry only half that
about what regulated that cycle, which
Utah, in 1869. In the case of the cell,
number. This halving of chromosome
in humans is vital not only to repro-
biochemists and physiologists (study-
number is accomplished by meiosis, in
duction but also to growth, tissue re-
ing eggs) and geneticists (studying uni-
which precursors of eggs and sperm
pair, immunity and countless other
cellular yeast) have finally achieved a
undergo two rounds of chromosomal
processes.
satisfying intellectual union some 20
segregation in rapid succession with-
In the past five years, two separate
years after they began separate lines of
out an intervening period of replica-
experimental approaches to the prob-
investigation.
tion. In males the precursors divide
lem have converged on an astonishing
symmetrically, producing four sperm.
finding. The regulation of the cycle in
eukaryotes (all living organisms except
W
hen the two scientific groups
In females the precursors divide asym-
began their work on the cell
metrically, producing one large egg
bacteria and viruses) seems to depend
cycle, they had a common
and, usually, three very small cells that
to a great extent on changes in the ac-
foundation of knowledge. For instance,
are discarded.
tivity of a single molecule, called the
19th-century microscopists and other
By 20 years ago it was also clear that
cdc2 protein.
researchers had established that the
the cell cycle is exquisitely regulated.
The discovery is exciting not only be-
cycle has two main phases: interphase
One type of regulation concerns the
cause it illuminates a problem that has
and mitosis [see illustration on oppo-
control of cell size. At the end of mito-
puzzled cell biologists for decades but
site page].
sis, newly formed somatic (nonrepro-
also because a deepened understand-
In interphase the cell nucleus re-
ductive) cells are the same size the par-
ing of cell-cycle regulation could have
mains intact. A cell grows continu-
ent cell was at its birth, which means
profound implications for medicine.
ously, stockpiling material enough for
the parent somehow paces its division
On one hand, the work could lead to
two cells. It also replicates its chro-
to occur precisely when its mass has
new ways to induce proliferation of
mosomes, shortly before mitosis. The
been doubled.
cells needed to reconstruct damaged
chromosomes, which are made of DNA
Cells also have to coordinate various
organs or tissues-perhaps including
and are stored in the nucleus, contain
events in the cycle. For instance, they
mature neurons, which do not divide.
the genes.
must avoid entering mitosis or meiosis
On the other hand, improved under-
In mitosis, two nuclei are formed
until their chromosomes have been
standing of the cycle may help yield
from one. First the envelope encasing
replicated; failure to wait can yield cells
ways to halt the promiscuous repro-
the nucleus breaks down, and the now
that lack a particular chromosome-an
duction of cancer cells.
duplicated chromosomes become at-
aberration that can kill a cell or, at
In a way, the recent history of cell-cy-
tached to a structure called the mitotic
times, promote cancer. What remained
cle research is reminiscent of the build-
spindle. Then the spindle segregates
unclear was just how cells managed to
the chromosomes, ensuring that each
coordinate the segregation of chromo-
daughter nucleus will have one copy
somes with their replication and also
of every chromosome. Next a nuclear
to coordinate those processes with cell
ANDREW W. MURRAY and MARC W.
envelope re-forms around each set of
growth.
KIRSCHNER are colleagues at the Uni-
chromosomes, after which the rest of
Yoshio Masui, then at Yale Univer-
versity of California, San Francisco. Mur-
ray, who is assistant professor of phys-
the cell, including the cytoplasm, di-
sity, and L. Dennis Smith, then at
iology, obtained his Ph.D. from Har-
vides to form two complete daughter
Argonne National Laboratory, took a
vard University in 1984. He worked in
cells that are genetically identical to the
giant step toward answering that ques-
Kirschner's laboratory before taking his
parent [see "The Mitotic Spindle," by
tion in 1971. They independently iden-
current post. Kirschner, who holds a
J. Richard McIntosh and Kent L. Mc-
tified a substance in frog eggs that
1971 doctorate from the University of
Donald; SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, October
seemed to control when mitosis and
California, Berkeley, has been professor
1989].
meiosis began.
of biochemistry and biophysics at the
Sometimes a process called meio-
The basic development of those eggs
San Francisco campus since 1978. He
moved to San Francisco from Princeton
sis substitutes for mitosis. During sex-
must be sketched briefly if Masui and
University.
ual reproduction, new individuals are
Smith's findings are to be understood
formed by the fusion of an egg with a
[see illustration on page 58]. The pre-
56
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN March 1991
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
INFORMATION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9121081
FROM:
PEWITT, Douglas
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 04/03/91
SUBJECT: SUPERCONDUCTING SUPER COLLIDER
ASSIGNED TO:
ACTION REQUIRED:
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
Dr. Wong
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
DATE RECEIVED: 04/08/91
FILE: P- PHYSICAL SCIENCES-ENERGY O
Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet
(George Bush Library)
Document No.
Subject/Title of Document
Date
Restriction
Class.
and Type
01. Letter
To: Allan Bromley From: Douglas Pewitt
4/3/91
(b)(2)
Re: Superconducting Super Collider (3 pp.)
Collection:
Record Group:
Bush Presidential Records
Office:
Science and Technology Policy, Office of (OSTP)
Series:
Bromley, D. Allan, Files
Subseries:
General Science Files
WHORM Cat.:
File Location:
Physical Science: Energy [2 of 2] [1991]
Date Closed:
3/29/2010
OA/ID Number:
62043-005
FOIA/SYS Case #:
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RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - [44 U.S.C. 2204(a)]
Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)]
P-1 National Security Classified Information [(a)(1) of the PRA]
(b)(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA]
P-2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA]
(b)(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of an
P-3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA]
agency [(b)(2) of the FOIA]
P-4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
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financial information [(a)(4) of the PRA]
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information [(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA]
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purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed of
(b)(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
gift.
financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA]
(b)(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
PRM. Removed as a personal record misfile.
TEL:
Apr 03,91 16:24 No. 004 P.01
FAX TRANSMISSION
TO:
Name
: Prof. D. Allan Bromley
Date:
Company :
3 Mar 91
Fax Number: (202) 395-3261
Phone : (202) 456-7116
FROM:
N. D. Pewitt
Fax Number: (214) 780-0733
Phone : (214) 780-7052
SUBJECT:
Superconducting Super Collider
MESSAGE:
Comments I hope are useful.
PAGE: 1 OF: 4
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shin was in not system to WORG wl I gone No need
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4/8
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
INFORMATION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120962
FROM:
DAVIS, Edward M.: AMERICAN NUCLEAR ENERGY COUNCIL
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 03/28/91
SUBJECT: DR. BROMLEY'S SUPPORTIVE EFFORTS IN ENSURING THAT
NUCLEAR ENERGY'S POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS WERE
RECOGNIZED IN THE ADMINISTRATION'S NATIONAL ENERGY
STRATEGY.
ASSIGNED TO:
ACTION REQUIRED:
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
Dr. Wong
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
P-Physical Sciences
DATE RECEIVED: 04/01/91
FILE: ENERGY
912 9120961 0961
AMERICAN NUCLEAR ENERGY COUNCIL
RECEIVED
Edward M. Davis
President
91 APR / P2:48
March 28, 1991
OFFICE OF THE
The Honorable Allan Bromley
DIRECTOR
Assistant to the President
for Science and Technology
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Dr. Bromley:
On behalf of the American Nuclear Energy Council (ANEC),
I would like to thank you for your supportive efforts in ensuring
that nuclear energy's potential contribution to meeting our
nation's future energy and environmental needs were recognized in
the Adminstration's National Energy Strategy (NES).
We believe that the recent events in the Persian Gulf and
the congressional enactment of the Clean Air Act Amendments
compel the nation to increase its reliance on nuclear energy in
the future. We are prepared to assist the Administration and
Congress in efforts to fashion a bipartisan national energy
strategy that promotes economic growth, energy security and
environmental progress.
We also applaud the Administration's position on the various
provisions that address the central impediments to revitalizing
the nuclear energy option, specifically nuclear licensing reform
for advanced, standardized plants and nuclear waste management
initiatives to resolve the impasse at Yucca Mountain site. We
urge your continued support of these provisions as part of a
comprehensive energy bill.
For your information, I have taken the liberty of enclosing
a recent speech that I gave on the implications of global warming
for the U.S. nuclear energy industry which discusses how nuclear
energy contributes to curbing the buildup of greenhouse gases.
We look forward to the opportunity of working with you and
your staff on energy policy. Please have your staff contact me
if I can be of assistance.
Sincerely,
EC Javin Edward M. Davis
410 First Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003 (202) 484-2670
"IMPLICATIONS OF GLOBAL WARMING
FOR THE U.S. NUCLEAR ENERGY INDUSTRY"
Edward M. Davis
President
American Nuclear Energy Council
Presented
to
The Third U.S. Energy Association
Global Climate Change Forum
Tuesday, March 5, 1991
I WANT TO THANK THE U.S. ENERGY ASSOCIATION FOR THE KIND
INVITATION TO SPEAK HERE TODAY BEFORE SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE
AUDIENCE.
I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK JOHN GREY, JOHN LANDIS AND
ROGER GALE FOR WHOM I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO KNOW AND
FOR WHOM I HAVE THE HIGHEST RESPECT WHEN IT COMES TO
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MATTERS.
I AM DELIGHTED TO SPEAK ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF GLOBAL
WARMING FOR THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY OPTION.
THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THIS IS A TIMELY MEETING AND
TOPIC. THIS DECADE IS SHAPING UP AS AN EXTRAORDINARILY
PIVOTAL ONE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, FOR ENERGY SECURITY
AND - - NOT COINCIDENTALLY- - FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY. WHAT
WE DO - OR DON'T DO - - IN THE NINETIES WILL VERY LIKELY
DEFINE THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, THE ENERGY BLUEPRINT
AND VERY FUTURE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY IN THE NEXT CENTURY.
SO THE QUESTIONS WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO ANSWER TODAY
ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ONES.
IF I WERE TO ASSESS THE IMPLICATIONS OF GLOBAL WARMING
ON THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY IN ONE WORD, MY SPEECH
WOULD BE VERY SHORT AND SIMPLE. THE ANSWER IS
SIGNIFICANT. BUT TO APPRECIATE THE FULL RAMIFICATIONS OF
CONCERNS ABOUT GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE ON NUCLEAR
ENERGY - AND ALL OTHER ENERGY RESOURCES FOR THAT
MATTER - I THINK WE HAVE TO PUT THEM IN THE CONTEXT OF
THE MANY OTHER RELATED CONSIDERATIONS THAT ARE AT
WORK TODAY. FOR TODAY, THERE IS A CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS,
INCLUDING THE PERSIAN GULF WAR AND THE BUSH
ADMINISTRATION'S SUBMITTAL OF ITS NATIONAL ENERGY
STRATEGY, THAT IS CREATING A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR
EFFECTIVE ACTION.
2
AS THEY SAY IN THE ADVERTISING BUSINESS, "THE MEDIUM IS
THE MESSAGE." IT IS MY BELIEF THAT IN THE ENERGY BUSINESS,
THE CONTEXT IS THE MESSAGE AND, AS I WILL EXPLAIN LATER,
THE GLOBAL WARMING ISSUE HAS FUNDAMENTALLY AND
SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERED THE WAY WE VIEW ENERGY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ISSUES. THIS IS THE INSIGHT I HOPE I
CAN SHARE WITH YOU TODAY. BECAUSE, AS I SAT DOWN TO
PREPARE MY REMARKS, IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME THAT I
WOULD HAVE TO FOCUS ON SOMETHING BESIDES THE OBVIOUS.
IF YOU ACCEPT THE FACT THAT NUCLEAR ENERGY EMITS NO
GREENHOUSE GASES AND THE FACT THAT, ACCORDING TO THE
NATIONAL ENERGY STRATEGY (NES) REPORT, IF NO ACTION IS
TAKEN, THE USE OF FOSSIL FUELS TO MEET U.S. ENERGY DEMAND
WILL RESULT IN AN 80 PERCENT INCREASE IN ENERGY-RELATED
CO2 EMISSIONS BY THE YEAR 2030, THEN YOU READILY
UNDERSTAND WHY THE DEBATE OVER NUCLEAR ENERGY IS
BEING RESHAPED BY THE OMNIPRESENT CONCERN FOR GLOBAL
CLIMATE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN GENERAL.
SO TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS MY REMARKS NOT ON THE
TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF HOW NUCLEAR ENERGY MIGHT
CONTRIBUTE TO EFFORTS TO CURB THE BUILD-UP OF
GREENHOUSE GASES, BUT RATHER HOW THE POLITICAL CONCERN
FOR GLOBAL WARMING AND THE ENVIRONMENT IS
INFLUENCING THE DEBATE ON NUCLEAR ENERGY AND ENERGY
IN GENERAL.
IN MY VIEW, GLOBAL WARMING HAS OPENED THE DOOR FOR THE
REVITALIZATION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY BECAUSE THE ISSUE
FORCES ONE TO TAKE AN INTEGRATED LOOK AT BOTH OUR
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS. IT IS THIS INTEGRATION
OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICYMAKING THAT IS
CHANGING THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE WHEN IT COMES TO
NUCLEAR ENERGY.
3
AS AN INDICATION OF THE NEED FOR THIS INTEGRATED
EXAMINATION OF OUR NATION'S ENERGY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES AND ITS IMPACT ON THE
FORTHCOMING DEBATE ON ENERGY POLICY, I WOULD CALL YOUR
ATTENTION TO THE RECENT SPEECH OF HOUSE ENERGY
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN JOHN DINGELL, IN WHICH HE STATED IN
PART WHAT I'M NOW PARAPHRASING:
"WE ARE NOW CURSED BY THE TRADITIONAL CONFLICT
BETWEEN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MUCH OF OUR
LAW AND PRACTICE IS BASED ON THAT CONFLICT
"INSTEAD OF SWINGING BACK-AND-FORTH BETWEEN OUR
CONCERN FOR ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT,
STRENGTHENING OR WEAKENING OF LAWS WE HAD PASSED
JUST A FEW YEARS EARLIER, WE NEED TO INTEGRATE THE TWO
AND FASHION ENERGY POLICIES WHICH TAKE INTO ACCOUNT
THE NEED TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT
"WITH SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SUCH AS GLOBAL
WARMING, WE NEED TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO OUR ENERGY
PROBLEMS CONSISTENT WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
"A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF A TOUGH ENERGY ISSUE IS NUCLEAR
POWER. THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND ON NUCLEAR POWER.
BUT EVENTS IN THE PERSIAN GULF, AND THE PASSAGE OF THE
CLEAN AIR ACT LAST YEAR, BOTH MAKE NUCLEAR POWER MORE
IMPORTANT."
THE CHAIRMAN CONCLUDED HIS REMARKS BY SAYING, "THERE IS
NO HOPE FOR ENERGY INDEPENDENCE IN THIS COUNTRY UNLESS
WE MOVE STRONGLY TOWARD NUCLEAR POWER." WHILE
CHAIRMAN DINGELL WAS REFERRING TO THE IMPLICATIONS OF
THE PASSAGE OF THE CLEAN AIR ACT AMENDMENTS, THE
4
IMPLICATIONS OF EFFORTS TO CURE GLOBAL WARMING YIELD
SIMILAR OBSERVATIONS BY MOST OBJECTIVE ENERGY POLICY
ANALYSTS.
I'M NOT HERE TO TELL YOU THAT NUCLEAR ENERGY IS A
PANACEA - CLEARLY IT IS NOT. THE NATION REQUIRES A
COMPREHENSIVE AND BALANCED NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY -
ONE THAT RELIES ON CONSERVATION AND DEMAND-SIDE
MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS ENHANCED PRODUCTION OF
DOMESTIC ENERGY SOURCES, INCLUDING NUCLEAR ENERGY. BUT,
IN MANY RESPECTS, NUCLEAR ENERGY BEATS WHATEVER IS IN
SECOND PLACE, WHEN YOU CONSIDER BOTH ENERGY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS, PARTICULARLY IN THE UTILITY AND
TRANSPORTATION SECTORS.
BY THE WAY, THOSE TWO SECTORS ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 63
PERCENT OF OUR TOTAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION.
SO IF YOU DEFINE OUR ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM
IN AN INTEGRATIVE WAY, ONE OF PROVIDING FUTURE ENERGY
DEMAND AND SIMULTANEOUSLY:
REDUCING OIL CONSUMPTION
REDUCING OR STABILIZING CO2 EMISSIONS
THEN NUCLEAR ENERGY BECOMES AN ATTRACTIVE OPTION,
PARTICULARLY WHEN USED WITH ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION.
BECAUSE IT IS SUCH AN OBVIOUS CHOICE, PEOPLE AND
POLITICIANS OF ALL POLITICAL PERSUASIONS ARE BEGINNING TO
TAKE AN OBJECTIVE LOOK AT NUCLEAR ENERGY.
AND SO THE OLD POLITICAL CALCULUS IS GIVING WAY TO A NEW
POLITICAL EQUATION OR DYNAMIC. MOREOVER, AS A
CONSEQUENCE, MANY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE BECOMING
5
LESS TOLERANT AND LESS PATIENT WITH THOSE WHO ARE
IDEOLOGICALLY OPPOSED TO NUCLEAR ENERGY.
ONE CANNOT DISMISS NUCLEAR ENERGY OUTRIGHT AS AN
OPTION AND STILL BE INTELLECTUALLY HONEST.
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS LOSE CREDIBILITY WITH CONGRESS
WHEN THEY ARGUE ON THE ONE HAND THAT THE GLOBAL
CLIMATE ISSUE REQUIRES URGENT AND SIGNIFICANT
ACTION,AND ON THE OTHER HAND, SAY THAT, DESPITE THE
SERIOUSNESS OF THE GLOBAL CLIMATE ISSUES, NUCLEAR ENERGY
MUST NOT BE CONSIDERED AS AN OPTION.
I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO COUNT THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
WHO HAVE TOLD ME THE STORY OF HOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL
GROUPS LOBBIED FOR STRINGENT CLEAN AIR STANDARDS, ONLY
TO MUMBLE AN ANSWER WHEN ASKED ABOUT THEIR POSITION
ON NUCLEAR ENERGY. AS A CONSEQUENCE, MODERATE
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED, ALBEIT
GRUDGINGLY, NUCLEAR ENERGY'S POTENTIAL ROLE IN CURBING
GREENHOUSE GASES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS (UCS) IN A
JANUARY 1990 LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNED BY A
SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF THE NATION'S MOST PROMINENT
SCIENTISTS, INCLUDING 49 NOBEL LAUREATES AND 700 MEMBERS
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, CALLED FOR STRONG
LEADERSHIP BY THE U.S. IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF GLOBAL WARMING POLICY.
A UCS STATEMENT STATES THAT:
"GLOBAL WARMING HAS EMERGED AS THE MOST SERIOUS
ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT OF THE 21ST CENTURY ONLY BY
TAKING ACTION NOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT FUTURE
GENERATIONS WILL NOT BE PUT AT RISK THE UNITED STATES
SHOULD DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A NEW NATIONAL ENERGY
6
POLICY, BASED ON THE NEED TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE
EMISSION OF CARBON DIOXIDE, WHILE SUSTAINING ECONOMIC
GROWTH. THE CORNERSTONES OF THIS POLICY SHOULD BE
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND THE EXPANSION OF CLEAN ENERGY
SOURCES."
THESE SCIENTISTS PROPOSE A FIVE-POINT PLAN THAT INCLUDES:
A STEADY INCREASE IN MOTOR VEHICLE FUEL ECONOMY
STANDARDS, WHILE THE SEARCH CONTINUES FOR FUELS AND
OTHER TECHNOLOGIES THAT MITIGATE CARBON DIOXIDE IMPACT;
A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR
RESEARCH ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY TECHNOLOGIES, AS WELL AS
FEDERAL ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE THE ADOPTION OF MORE
EFFICIENT ENERGY USE;
DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION AND
COMMERCIALIZATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
ON A MASSIVE SCALE;
A NUCLEAR ENERGY PROGRAM THAT EMPHASIZES
PROTECTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, RESOLUTION OF
THE PROBLEM OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL, AND
STRINGENT SAFEGUARDS AGAINST THE PROLIFERATION OF
NUCLEAR MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN BE APPLIED
TO WEAPONS CONSTRUCTION, AND
FULL CONSIDERATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND
ECONOMIC IMPACTS IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FEDERAL
SUBSIDIES AND REGULATORY STANDARDS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF
ENERGY SOURCES.
7
IN A NUTSHELL, THE GLOBAL CLIMATE ISSUE HAS RESHAPED THE
WAY WE CONSIDER ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
ISSUES AND HAS LED TO AN INTEGRATED LOOK AT ENERGY
ALTERNATIVES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE TRADEOFFS.
NATIONAL ENERGY STRATEGY
THE RECENTLY RELEASED NES IS A LANDMARK INTEGRATED
STUDY ON ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY. ITS AUTHORS
SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR PROVIDING AN INVALUABLE
SERVICE TO THE NATION, INCLUDING: MARK KERRIGAN, LINDA
STUNTZ, ASSISTANT SECRETARY BILL YOUNG, DEPUTY
SECRETARY HENSON MOORE AND SECRETARY WATKINS.
IT IS MY HOPE THAT THE NES WILL SERVE AS AN INTEGRATED
FRAMEWORK UPON WHICH TO EVALUATE OUR ENERGY
ALTERNATIVES.
THE NES, IN ADDITION TO PROPOSING AN ENERGY STRATEGY,
ALSO LAYS OUT A STRATEGY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS,
AND SPECIFICALLY FOR CURBING THE BUILD-UP OF TOTAL
GREENHOUSE GASES.
THE NES PROVIDES A SERIES OF ACTIONS THAT WILL REDUCE
GREENHOUSE GASES FROM FUTURE ENERGY PRODUCTION AND
USE.
THE NES STRATEGY REFLECTS MEASURES THAT, IF IMPLEMENTED,
WOULD RESULT IN U.S. CO2 LEVELS INCREASING BY
APPROXIMATELY 25 PERCENT THROUGH THE YEAR 2015 AND THEN
MAINTAINING ANNUAL CO2 EMISSIONS AT OR BELOW THAT
LEVEL THROUGH THE YEAR 2030.
WHEN ADDED WITH ACTIONS PLANNED AND BEING TAKEN TO
CURB OTHER GREENHOUSE GASES, THE NES STRATEGY WILL HOLD
8
GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL (GWP) EMISSIONS AT OR BELOW
THE 1990 LEVEL.
THE NES STRATEGY IS BASED ON TWO BASIC APPROACHES:
IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND
SHIFTING TO ENERGY SOURCES AND TECHNOLOGIES THAT
EMIT FEWER GREENHOUSE GASES.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY INITIATIVES IN THE NES INCLUDE:
INCREASED TRANSPORTATION FUEL EFFICIENCY;
IMPROVED BUILDING EFFICIENCY, INCLUDING ENHANCED
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN IMPROVING INDUSTRIAL
ENERGY EFFICIENCY;
ENHANCED TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRIC
VEHICLES, AND
FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLANNING
IN ELECTRICITY MARKETS.
FOR NEW AND EXITING TECHNOLOGIES ASSOCIATED WITH LOW
OR MINIMAL NET GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, THESE ACTIONS
WILL:
REMOVE REGULATORY CONSTRAINTS TO NATURAL GAS
PRODUCTION, TRANSMISSION AND USE;
REDUCE CONSTRAINTS TO OBTAINING ADDITIONAL
HYDROELECTRIC POWER FROM EXISTING DAMS;
9
FACILITATE NUCLEAR POWER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH
LICENSING REFORM;
DEVELOP ACCELERATED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ON
BIOMASS-BASED ALCOHOL AND ALTERNATIVE FUELS;
CONTINUE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS TO
DEVELOP PHOTOVOLTAIC, WIND, SOLAR THERMAL,
BIOMASS, AND GEOTHERMAL TECHNOLOGIES, AND
PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CLEAN
COAL TECHNOLOGY
BY THE YEAR 2000, NES ACTIONS THAT WILL BE THE LARGEST
CONTRIBUTORS TO CURBING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
INCLUDE:
INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLANNING EFFORTS, COUPLED
WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY ACTIONS, THAT REDUCE
ELECTRICITY DEMAND (25 PERCENT OF TOTAL REDUCTION);
NATURAL GAS REFORMS (23 PERCENT);
GREATER USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELED VEHICLES (23
PERCENT), AND
EXPANDED USE OF WASTE-TO-ENERGY TECHNOLOGY (15%)
THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTORS TO REDUCING GREENHOUSE GASES
IN 2030 WOULD BE:
EXPANDED USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY (36 PERCENT);
INCREASED TRANSPORTATION FUEL EFFICIENCY AND
EXPANDED USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND ALTERNATIVE
VEHICLES (25 PERCENT)
10
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLANNING
EFFORTS (15 PERCENT), AND
INDUSTRIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS (11
PERCENT).
IN THE LONG RUN, NUCLEAR ENERGY IS THE SINGLE LARGEST
CONTRIBUTOR TO CURBING GREENHOUSE GASES.
TODAY, THE 111 U.S. COMMERCIALLY OPERATING PLANTS,
TOTALLING A COMBINED GENERATING CAPACITY OF 100,774
MEGAWATTS, REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS BY APPROXIMATELY 128
MILLION TONS ANNUALLY.
AS FAR AS THE FUTURE IS CONCERNED, THE ADMINISTRATION'S
STRATEGY OF RELYING ON NUCLEAR ENERGY COULD PROVE TO
BE AN EFFECTIVE ONE AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE FRENCH
EXPERIENCE. SINCE THE 1970S, NUCLEAR GENERATION INCREASED
IN FRANCE FROM 10 PERCENT TO MORE THAN 75 PERCENT TODAY.
AS A RESULT, FROM 1979-1987:
SULFUR DIOXIDE EMISSIONS DECLINED 92 PERCENT, FROM
978,000 TO 83,000 TONS ANNUALLY;
NITROGEN OXIDE EMISSIONS DECLINED 84 PERCENT, FROM
208,000 TONS TO 34,000 TONS ANNUALLY, AND
CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS DECLINED 84 PERCENT, FROM 82
MILLION TONS TO 13 MILLION TONS ANNUALLY.
THESE REDUCTIONS IN AIRBORNE EMISSIONS CLEARLY PROVE
THAT NUCLEAR ENERGY WORKS FOR A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT.
THIS FACT IS ALSO DEMONSTRATED IN THE INTEGRATED NES
ANALYSIS THAT WITHOUT RELIANCE ON NUCLEAR ENERGY, IT
11
BECOMES NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CURB THE BUILDUP OF
GREENHOUSE GASES AND MAINTAIN ECONOMIC GROWTH.
THIS CONCLUSION HAS BEEN REACHED BY MANY OTHERS
INVOLVED IN THE DEBATE OVER GLOBAL WARMING.
FOR EXAMPLE, SENATOR TIM WIRTH EARLY ON MUST HAVE
ARRIVED AT THIS CONCLUSION, AND HAS NOT BEEN SWAYED BY
ATTACKS ON HIM FOR THINKING OR SPEAKING THE
UNTHINKABLE - THAT NUCLEAR ENERGY RATHER THAN BEING
AN ENVIRONMENTAL CURSE MIGHT PROVE TO BE THE
ENVIRONMENT'S BEST HOPE FOR CURBING GREENHOUSE GASES.
NES AND THE NUCLEAR ENERGY OPTION
THE NES INCLUDES FOUR KEY GOALS FOR THE NUCLEAR ENERGY
OPTION WITH AN OVERRIDING THEME TO REMOVE UNDUE
REGULATORY AND INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS:
MAINTAINING EXACTING SAFETY AND DESIGN STANDARDS;
REDUCING ECONOMIC RISK;
REDUCING REGULATORY RISK, AND
ESTABLISHING PROGRESS ON HIGH-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL;
FOUR INITIATIVES IN THE NES TO REVIVE THE NUCLEAR ENERGY
INDUSTRY INCLUDE:
ACCELERATE INTRODUCTION OF ADVANCED NUCLEAR
ENERGY PLANT DESIGNS;
ACCELERATE CERTIFICATION OF STANDARD PLANT DESIGNS;
REFORM THE LICENSING PROCESS, AND
12
ENCOURAGE PROGRESS ON HIGH-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL.
THE DOE'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED BY BOTH ITS FY 92
BUDGET REQUEST AND NES LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES IN THE
SENATE AND HOUSE.
THE MAJOR GOAL OF DOE'S PROGRAM IS TO MAKE
COMMERCIALLY STANDARDIZED ADVANCED LIGHT-WATER
REACTOR DESIGNS AVAILABLE FOR ORDER BY 1995; TO ASSIST IN
SECURING AN ORDER BY 1995 AND TO PROVIDE FOR NEW
NUCLEAR CAPACITY GENERATION BY 2000. THUS, THE NES PAVES
THE WAY FOR A PROJECTED 195 TO 290 GIGAWATTS OF NUCLEAR
CAPACITY TO BE ON LINE BY 2030 IF THE NATION CAN OVERCOME
THE BARRIERS TO INVESTING IN NEW NUCLEAR POWERPLANTS,
EXTENDING THE LIFETIME OF EXISTING PLANTS AND DISPOSING
OF NUCLEAR WASTE.
THIS GOAL AND PROGRAM IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INDUSTRY'S
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ORDERING THE NEXT NUCLEAR ENERGY
PLANT BY 1995, WHICH WAS RELEASED IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR.
THE NUCLEAR POWER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE (NPOC) STRATEGIC
PLAN:
IDENTIFIES ALL THE SIGNIFICANT ENABLING CONDITIONS
WHICH MUST BE MET TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL;
ASSIGNS LEAD AND SUPPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE
APPROPRIATE EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS OR STANDING
COMMITTEES IN THE INDUSTRY TO DETAIL AND IMPLEMENT AND
ACTION PLAN FOR ACHIEVING EACH CONDITION, AND
FOSTERS JOINT AND COORDINATED EFFORTS BETWEEN
GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY, WHICH WOULD ENHANCE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGIES AND PROVIDE FOR
SHARING RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS.
13
THE DOE BUDGET REQUEST SUPPORTS THE GOAL OF A NEW ORDER
BY 1995 BY PROVIDING FUNDING TO ACCELERATE DESIGN,
CERTIFICATION AND FIRST OF KIND ENGINEERING ($62.5 MILLION).
AS FAR AS LICENSING REFORM AND NUCLEAR WASTE IS
CONCERNED, THE NES PROPOSES LEGISLATION IN THESE AREAS,
AND I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT BOTH LEGISLATIVE
INITIATIVES ARE CONTAINED IN THE NES LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE
TRANSMITTED TO CAPITOL HILL YESTERDAY, S. 570 AND H.R. 1301.
I AM ALSO PLEASED TO REPORT THAT YESTERDAY THE SUPREME
COURT DENIED NEVADA'S REQUEST TO REVIEW A 9TH CIRCUIT
COURT DECISION, WHICH FOUND IN FAVOR OF DOE AND UPHELD
THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY ACT;
THUS, BRINGING THE SOLUTION TO THE IMPASSE IN NEVADA
OVER THE YUCCA MOUNTAIN PROGRAM ONE STEP CLOSER. I
SUPPOSE THE ACTION NOW SHIFTS TO THE HILL IN ITS
DELIBERATIONS ON NATIONAL ENERGY LEGISLATION.
YOU MIGHT ASK WHAT SUPPORT THE INDUSTRY CAN EXPECT TO
RECEIVE FOR THE NUCLEAR INITIATIVES CONTAINED IN THE NES.
AS AN INDICATION OF SUPPORT FOR NUCLEAR, I HAVE BROUGHT
WITH ME THE RESULTS OF A RECENT CONGRESSIONAL POLL
COMMISSIONED BY ANEC AND CONDUCTED BY REICHMAN-
KARTEN-SWORD, INC. THE POLL SHOWS BROAD SUPPORT FOR
NUCLEAR ENERGY AS PART OF THE NES:
SEVENTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF THE 300 CONGRESSIONAL
OFFICES SURVEYED FAVOR NUCLEAR ENERGY AND 85 PERCENT
SAY NUCLEAR ENERGY SHOULD BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF
AMERICA'S ENERGY FUTURE. BY MORE THAN A 2-TO-1 MARGIN,
CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT EXISTS FOR THE NATIONAL ENERGY
STRATEGY'S GOAL OF ORDERING AN ADVANCED LIGHT-WATER
REACTOR BY 1995. FIFTY-FIVE PERCENT FAVOR THIS GOAL
14
THE TOP THREE FACTORS INFLUENCING CONGRESSIONAL
OPINION ON NUCLEAR ENERGY, ACCORDING TO CONGRESSIONAL
STAFF ARE:
-- SAFE OPERATIONS, 92 PERCENT;
-- WASTE DISPOSAL, 86 PERCENT, AND
-- PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY, 63 PERCENT.
ON THE ISSUE OF SAFETY, 85 PERCENT BELIEVE NUCLEAR
ENERGY PLANTS ARE SAFE, AND 67 PERCENT SAY PLANT SAFETY
IS IMPROVING.
EIGHTY PERCENT RANK WASTE DISPOSAL AS A "VERY
URGENT" LEGISLATIVE ISSUE.
THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS, BESIDES CONCERN OVER GLOBAL
WARMING, THAT ARE ALSO SHAPING THE WAY POLICYMAKERS
VIEW THE NUCLEAR OPTION, INCLUDING:
NUCLEAR ENERGY'S IMPROVED SAFETY RECORD;
NEED FOR BASELOAD CAPABILITY;
POTENTIAL FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES TO BACK OUT OIL FROM
THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR, AND
PASSAGE OF THE CLEAN AIR ACT.
AS A RESULT OF THESE MANY FACTORS, THE STAGE IS SET FOR
MAKING THE 1990S A DECADE OF EXTRAORDINARY PROGRESS FOR
NUCLEAR ENERGY. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LAUNCH THE
NEXT GENERATION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY PLANTS IN THIS
DECADE BY COMPLETING THE CRITICAL REFORMS WHICH WE
STARTED 10 YEARS AGO AND BY RESTORING THE CONFIDENCE
THAT WILL ALLOW NEW ORDERS FOR NUCLEAR PLANTS TO
BEGIN.
15
THE IMPACT OF GLOBAL WARMING AND ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSIDERATIONS WILL BE SIGNIFICANT. AND WHEN MIXED
WITH THE OTHER FACTORS I HAVE IDENTIFIED, WE SEE A
POWERFUL ELIXIR FOR THE RENEWAL OF NUCLEAR ENERGY AND
THE LAUNCHING OF A NEW GENERATION OF ADVANCED
NUCLEAR ENERGY PLANTS.
IN SHORT, THE STAGE IS SET FOR THE 102ND CONGRESS TO DRAW
AN ENERGY BLUEPRINT FOR OUR NATION THAT WILL STAND THE
TEST OF TIME. I BELIEVE THIS WILL BE AN HISTORIC CONGRESS
WITH RESPECT TO ENERGY LEGISLATION. I AM EQUALLY
CONVINCED THAT NUCLEAR ENERGY WILL PLAY A SIGNIFICANT
ROLE IN THE FINAL ENERGY STRATEGY TO EMERGE FROM
CONGRESS. NUCLEAR ENERGY TRULY WORKS FOR A CLEAN
ENVIRONMENT AND PROVIDES AMERICA THE POWER OF
INDEPENDENCE.
THE QUESTION IN THIS DECADE IS NOT WHETHER ANOTHER
NUCLEAR PLANT WILL BE BUILT, BUT WHEN, WHERE AND BY
WHOM. THIS DOES NOT COME A MOMENT TOO EARLY FOR THE
NATION. THE FACT IS THAT OUR NATION IS AT A CROSSROADS
WITH RESPECT TO ENERGY POLICY. WE TRULY FACE A
WATERSHED IN PROVIDING RELIABLE, SAFE AND CLEAN ENERGY
FOR THE UNITED STATES -- AND NUCLEAR ENERGY IS PREPARED
TO RESPOND TO MEET THIS CHALLENGE.
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
INFORMATION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120850
FROM:
HEFNER, Robert A.: NATURAL GAS EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION CO.
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 03/20/91
SUBJECT: R&D FUNDS FOR NATURAL GAS VEHICLE TANK TECHNOLOGY
ASSIGNED TO:
ACTION REQUIRED:
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
Dr. Wong
Dr. Phillips
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
P-Physical Sciences .
DATE RECEIVED: 03/25/91
FILE: ENERGY
03/22/91
11:27
THE GHK CO 405 948 9898
002
9120850
GHK
A NATURAL GAS EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION ECEIVED COMPANY
ROBERT A. HEFNER III, CHAIRMAN
March 20, 1991
91 MAR 25 P12: 21
TO:
Mike Baly, President, American Gas Association
Nicholas Bush, President, Natural Gas Supply Association
OF
THE
Robert Catell, President, Brooklyn Union Gas CompanyRECTOR
Richard Clarke, Chairman, Pacific Gas & Electric
Daniel A. Dreyfus, Strategic Planning, GRI
Richard D. Fairman, Chairman, Southern California Gas Co.
Jerold V. Halvorsen, President, INGAA
The Honorable Walter Hickel, Governor of Alaska
Kenneth Lay, Chairman, Enron Oil & Gas
Garry Mauro, Commissioner of Texas General Land Office
Susan Pilcher, CEO, Natural Fuels Corporation
The Honorable Charles Robb, U.S. Senate
Chuck Roy, Fossil Fuels, US Department of Energy
Alan Schwartz, Esquire
J.D. Scott, Chairman, ONEOK
Jeffrey Seisler, Executive Director, Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition
The Honorable David Walters, Governor of Oklahoma
The Honorable James D. Watkins, Secretary of Energy
The Honorable Timothy Wirth, U.S. Senate
Robert Woody, Esquire
CC:
D. Allen Bromley, Science & Technology Assistant to President Bush
FROM:
Robert A. Hefner III
R
RE:
R&D Funds for Natural Gas Vehicle Tank Technology
It seems to me the recent Gulf War should reemphasize our national R&D
priorities and that one of the most vital areas for R&D funds should be natural gas
vehicles. The total fiscal 1991 appropriation by Congress for natural gas research was
$117.67 million. From that amount only $5.5 million was appropriated for natural gas
vehicle research, and from that no funds were targeted for natural gas vehicle tank
technology. The fiscal 1992 appropriation hearings are now in progress and no funds are
included for NGV tank technology. I urge each of you to immediately do what you can to
obtain allocation of significant R&D funds for NGV tank technology. I believe some of
the Stealth carbon fiber and composite technology developed for the military would be
applicable for NGV tank technology. When I mentioned this to Allen Bromley last week,
he agreed this is an area of R&D that should be "looked into again".
THE GHK COMPANY
3030 NORTHWEST EXPRESSWAY 18TH FLOOR OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA 73112-5467 USA
TELEPHONE: 405/948-9800
TELEFAX: 405/948-9898
RECYCLED PAPER
GHK
A NATURAL GAS EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION COMPANY
RECEIVED III, CHAIRMAN
March 20, 1991
91 MAR 25 24
TO:
Mike Baly, President, American Gas Association
Nicholas Bush, President, Natural Gas Supply Association
Robert Catell, President, Brooklyn Union Gas Company HE
Richard Clarke, Chairman, Pacific Gas & Electric RECTOR
Daniel A. Dreyfus, Strategic Planning, GRI
Richard D. Fairman, Chairman, Southern California Gas Co.
Jerold V. Halvorsen, President, INGAA
The Honorable Walter Hickel, Governor of Alaska
Kenneth Lay, Chairman, Enron Oil & Gas
Garry Mauro, Commissioner of Texas General Land Office
Susan Pilcher, CEO, Natural Fuels Corporation
The Honorable Charles Robb, U.S. Senate
Chuck Roy, Fossil Fuels, US Department of Energy
Alan Schwartz, Esquire
J.D. Scott, Chairman, ONEOK
Jeffrey Seisler, Executive Director, Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition
The Honorable David Walters, Governor of Oklahoma
The Honorable James D. Watkins, Secretary of Energy
The Honorable Timothy Wirth, U.S. Senate
Robert Woody, Esquire
CC:
D. Allen Bromley, Science & Technology Assistant to President Bush
FROM:
Robert A. Hefner R III
RE:
R&D Funds for Natural Gas Vehicle Tank Technology
It seems to me the recent Gulf War should reemphasize our national R&D
priorities and that one of the most vital areas for R&D funds should be natural gas
vehicles. The total fiscal 1991 appropriation by Congress for natural gas research was
$117.67 million. From that amount only $5.5 million was appropriated for natural gas
vehicle research, and from that no funds were targeted for natural gas vehicle tank
technology. The fiscal 1992 appropriation hearings are now in progress and no funds are
included for NGV tank technology. I urge each of you to immediately do what you can to
obtain allocation of significant R&D funds for NGV tank technology. I believe some of
the Stealth carbon fiber and composite technology developed for the military would be
applicable for NGV tank technology. When I mentioned this to Allen Bromley last week,
he agreed this is an area of R&D that should be "looked into again".
THE GHK COMPANY
3030 NORTHWEST EXPRESSWAY 18TH FLOOR OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA 73112-5467 USA
TELEPHONE: 405/948-9800
TELEFAX: 405/948-9898
RECYCLED PAPER
*
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
INFORMATION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120780
FROM:
DAVIS, Edward M.: AMERICAN NUCLEAR ENERGY COUNCIL
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 03/14/91
SUBJECT: THE RESULTS OF AN ANEC-COMMISSIONED POLL ON
CONGRESSIONAL ATTITUDES TOWARD NUCLEAR ENERGY.
ASSIGNED TO:
ACTION REQUIRED:
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
Dr. Wong
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON: TED GARRISH
REMARKS:
P-Physical Sciences
DATE RECEIVED: 03/18/91
FILE: NUSBER ENERGY
9120780
AMERICAN NUCLEAR ENERGY COUNCIL
RECEIVED
March 14, 1991
MAR
18
Mr. Allan Bromley
Assistant to the President for
Science & Technology Policy
OFFICE OF TORE
Executive Office of the President
Old Executive Office Building
17th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20506
Dear Mr. Bromley:
On behalf of the American Nuclear Energy Council (ANEC), I am
pleased to transmit to you the results of an ANEC-commissioned poll
on congressional attitudes toward nuclear energy.
The results indicate that broad support exists in Congress for
nuclear energy's vital role in a national energy strategy, including
initiatives that pave the way for an advanced nuclear energy plant
order by 1995, nuclear energy plant licensing reform and progress on
nuclear waste disposal.
Seventy-seven percent of the 300 congressional offices surveyed
favor nuclear energy and 85 percent say nuclear energy should be an
important part of America's energy future. Fifty-five percent
support the National Energy Strategy's goal of ordering an advanced
nuclear energy plant reactor by 1995, while only 23 percent oppose
the goal.
Nuclear energy must be a principal component of any long-lasting
energy blueprint that provides America energy security, economic
vitality and environmental progress. I look forward to working with
you as Congress develops an energy policy that, like nuclear energy,
will give America the power of independence.
For additional information on nuclear energy's vital role in a
national energy strategy, please call Ted Garrish, ANEC senior vice
president - governmental relations, at (202) 484-2670.
Sincerely,
EdDais
Edward M. Davis
EMD/pk
Enclosures
410 First Street, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20003 (202) 484-2670
NUCLEAR ENERGY
The Power of Independence.
February 19, 1991
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Participants in Recent ANEC Survey
FROM:
Reichman-Karten-Sword, Inc. (RKS)
SUBJECT: Summarizing Survey Results
Between November 12 and December 14, 1990, RKS conducted 300
telephone interviews among energy legislative assistants assigned
to representatives, senators and, energy and environmental
committees. The average interview took 21 minutes to conduct and
all participants were guaranteed their absolute anonymity.
The purpose of the survey was to learn the mood of Congress in
late 1990 regarding nuclear energy. In addition, the survey
sought to assess the effectiveness of ANEC'S CONGRESSIONAL
INFORMATION PROGRAM (CIP). CIP's goal is to enhance the under-
standing and confidence of Congress in the safe operation of U.S.
nuclear energy plants. Questions in the survey were directed at
measuring how well CIP is achieving this goal. This memorandum
highlights the key results generated by this survey.
The interview covered the following four major categories:
Challenges and issues facing nuclear energy
from Congress' perspective;
Regulation of nuclear energy;
Influences on congressional opinions of nu-
clear energy; and
General opinions about nuclear energy.
REICHMAN
KARTEN
SWORD, INC.
Participants in ANEC Survey
February 19, 1991
Page 2
CHALLENGES AND ISSUES FACING NUCLEAR ENERGY FROM CONGRESS'
PERSPECTIVE
Asked about nuclear energy's importance in
the future, 38% of those interviewed say it
will be very important, and 47% respond that
it will be somewhat important for the future
resulting in a total of 85% who expect that
it will be important. Only 14% feel it will
not be important.
Asked how they think their constituents would
respond, congressional staff perceive a gap
between their own views and how they project
their constituents' opinions: 9% expect
their constituents would call nuclear energy
very important in the future, and 45% expect
that their constituents would respond that
nuclear energy would be somewhat important.
Some 40% expect that their constituents would
say nuclear energy will not be important.
In listing the biggest obstacles facing the
nuclear energy industry today, the top three
mentions by congressional staff are public
opinion, waste disposal and safety.
Asked to volunteer the major legislative
issues relating to nuclear energy that con-
gressional staff think Congress should ad-
dress over the next two years, waste disposal
is the top mention, followed by licensing
reform, safety, and a national energy policy
with a strong nuclear component.
REICHMAN
KARTEN
SWORD, INC.
Participants in ANEC Survey
February 19, 1991
Page 3
REGULATION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
Asked to assess the effectiveness of the NRC
as a regulatory agency, 7% call it very ef-
fective and 53% respond somewhat effective
for a total of 60% calling NRC effective.
Some 28% label NRC as not too effective and
5% call it not at all effective for a total
of 33% who rate NRC not effective. Thus, by
60% to 33%, congressional staff perceive NRC
as effective.
Questioned about where the regulation of
nuclear plant safety authority should reside,
by 72% to 21%, congressional energy staff
feel it should be Federal rather than State
government; regarding environmental aspects,
by 57% to 30%, congressional staff also feel
that this regulation should reside with the
Federal government rather than State govern-
ment.
INFLUENCES ON CONGRESSIONAL OPINIONS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
In response to being read a list of nine
items and asked how important each one will
be on influencing congressional opinion on
the need for nuclear energy in the future,
three items are called very important by half
or more of those interviewed:
-- Safe operations;
-- Progress on waste disposal; and
-- Public acceptance.
REICHMAN KARTEN SWORD, INC.
Participants in ANEC Survey
February 19, 1991
Page 4
Three items are called very important by
about half of those interviewed:
-- Demand for electricity;
-- Reducing foreign oil dependence; and
-- Cost of nuclear energy.
In asking about contact with the nuclear
energy industry, the survey finds two out of
three responding that they had such contact
over the past year. The most frequent con-
tact was with a utility CEO or senior nuclear
energy plant manager, and Washington or trade
association reps.
Asked about the effectiveness of this con-
tact, 31% call it very effective, and 52%
describe it as somewhat effective; only 6%
say it is not effective and 11% respond they
are "not sure".
Asked to assess the job the nuclear energy
industry does in getting information to con-
gressional offices, 9% give the highest rat-
ing, excellent, and another 55% call it pret-
ty good; about one in four (28%) call it not
so good and 6% describe it as poor. There-
fore, by 64% to 34%, congressional staff give
the industry positive marks.
REICHMAN KARTEN SWORD, INC.
Participants in ANEC Survey
February 19, 1991
Page 5
When asked to volunteer how the nuclear ener-
gy industry can improve the ways it gets
information to Congress, the suggestion gar-
nering the largest mention was "more personal
contact". Other major suggestions were:
-- more briefings;
-- provide more information/greater
detail;
-- be more credible/accurate with the
information provided; and
-- improve public standing of nuclear
energy.
GENERAL OPINIONS ABOUT NUCLEAR ENERGY
The survey finds over half saying they are
familiar with the nuclear energy plant near-
est their constituency; 78% say they are very
or somewhat satisfied with the credibility of
information provided by that plant; and 56%
of those interviewed say that they have
visited a nuclear energy plant -- up from 44%
responding this way in a previous survey
undertaken by ANEC.
Asked how well informed they feel they are
about nuclear energy plant operations, 15%
respond very well informed, and 51% answer
fairly well informed.
REICHMAN
KARTEN
SWORD, INC.
Participants in ANEC Survey
February 19, 1991
Page 6
Asked directly whether they favor or oppose
nuclear energy as one of the ways to provide
electricity, the survey finds 77% who respond
that they favor the use of nuclear energy,
versus 15% who oppose it.
When questioned about their opinions on the
safety of nuclear energy plants, the 1990
survey finds 85% who call nuclear plants safe
-- up from 72% answering this way in the 1988
survey.
And when asked directly if they think safety
at nuclear energy plants is improving, 67%
respond affirmatively versus 18% who answer
negatively and 15% who are not sure.
Finally, congressional staff were asked if
they support the nuclear industry's goal of
placing an order for a nuclear energy plant
by 1995 in time to serve customers by the
turn of the century. Over half (55%) answer
yes, compared with 23% who respond no, and a
similar number (22%) who are not sure.
And when asked the likelihood that a nuclear
energy plant will be built in the U.S. over
the next 10 years, 11% call it very likely
and 46% say it is somewhat likely for a total
of 57% who say it is likely.
REICHMAN
KARTEN
SWORD, INC.
A SURVEY OF CONGRESSIONAL STAFF
AMERICAN NUCLEAR ENERGY COUNCIL
CONGRESSIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAM
FEBRUARY 1991
Reichman-Karten-Sword, Inc.
New York - San Francisco
OBJECTIVES
Update ANEC's 1988 CIP survey by
obtaining measurements of effectiveness
of CIP
Expand 1988 CIP survey to understand
changes in opinions and the "why's"
underlying opinions
Utilize survey as basis for two-way
communication with Congress
SUBJECTS COVERED
Problems and issues facing nuclear energy
from Congress' perspective
Regulation of nuclear energy
General opinions about nuclear energy
Influences on Congressional opinions
of nuclear energy including CIP
METHODOLOGY
Survey aimed at energy legislative aides
assigned to representatives, senators and
energy and environmental committees
ANEC provided Congressional Yellow Book
as basis for sample selection
RKS screened listings to locate proper person
Chief of Staff
Legislative Director
Energy Legislative Assistant
METHODOLOGY (cont'd)
Introductory letter mailed in early November
ANEC identified as sponsor
Anonymity guaranteed
Respondents promised summary
Telephone interviews between November 12
and December 14, 1990
Average interview lasted 21 minutes
Thank you letter and critique form sent to
all respondents
THE FINAL SAMPLE
In total, 300 telephone interviews conducted:
#
TOTAL
300
Senate
52
Democrats
24
Republicans
28
House
208
Democrats
110
Republicans
98
Committee
40
Expected sampling error for Total is +4 at 95%
NUCLEAR ENERGY'S
IMPORTANCE IN FUTURE
Percent
100
85
75
47
38
50
14
25
0
1990 Total Congress
Not important
Somewhat important
Very important
"Not sure" omitted
NUCLEAR ENERGY'S
IMPORTANCE IN FUTURE
Percent
100
85
54
75
47
45
38
40
50
14
25
9
0
1990 Total Congress
Congress projects
constituents' opinions
Not important
Somewhat important
Very important
"Not sure" omitted
PROBLEMS FACING NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
Public opinion
76
Waste disposal
52
Safety
31
Environmental
12
Costs/economies
10
Regulation
9
0
50
100
Percent
Volunteered
MAJOR LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
CONGRESS SHOULD ADDRESS
Disposal
48
Licensing reform
17
Safety
15
National energy policy
14
Standard plant design
7
Liability
7
Reform NRC
6
Industry incentives
6
R&D-Nuclear technology
6
0
25
50
75
100
Percent
Volunteered
URGENCY OF LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
Waste disposal
16
80
96
Standards/licensing
41
37
78
Advanced nuclear plants
51
20
71
Nat'l energy policy
28
40
68
nuclear component
Domestic uranium
46
10
56
enrichment
Limits on states
35
20 55
0
25
50
75
100
Percent
Somewhat urgent
Very urgent
EFFECTIVENESS OF NRC
Percent
100
53
50
28
7
5
7
0
Not
Not at all
Not too
Somewhat
Very
sure
effective
effective
effective
effective
NUCLEAR ENERGY PLANT REGULATION
Federal
Federal
government
government
57%
72%
State
government
30%
State
government
21%
Not sure
13%
Not sure
7%
SAFETY
ENVIRONMENTAL
AUTHORITY
ASPECTS
FACTORS MOST INFLUENCING CONGRESSIONAL
OPINIONS ON NUCLEAR ENERGY IN PAST
Foreign oil
53
dependence
Environment concerns
30
Safety
25
Electricity demands
15
Public opinion
14
Dealings with
11
nuclear industry
0
50
100
Percent
Volunteered
FACTORS' IMPORTANCE IN INFLUENCING
CONGRESSIONAL OPINION IN FUTURE
Safe operations
92
Waste disposal
86
progress
Public acceptance
63
Electric demand
49
Reduce oil dependence
46
Cost
45
Economic benefits
37
Advanced plant
36
technology
Air pollution reduction
35
0
25
50
75
100
Percent
Rated "very important"
IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION SOURCES
INFLUENCING CONGRESSIONAL OPINIONS
Constituents
28
61
89
Federal agencies
58
24
82
Committee staff
40
39
79
Washington reps
60
18
78
Capitol briefings
53
17
70
Press
57
13
70
Industry information
52
14
66
Anti-nuclear groups
52
6
58
Opinion polls
48
6
54
0
50
100
Percent
Somewhat important
Very important
NUCLEAR ENERGY WRITTEN INFORMATION
ANEC 33%
Local
22%
Not
utilities
received
Received
6%
94%
DOE
18%
Nuclear 18%
industry
NRC
15%
Environmental
WAS IT
groups
14%
RECEIVED?
WHAT WAS
THE SOURCE?
-
WAS INFORMATION READ?
Scanned
65%
Read
31%
Ignored
Not sure
2%
2%
Base: Received information
GETTING INFORMATION TO CONGRESS
Rating nuclear energy industry:
Percent
100
55
50
28
6
9
0
Poor
Not so good
Pretty good
Excellent
"Not sure" omitted
NUCLEAR ENERGY INDUSTRY CONTACT
TOTAL CONGRESS
34
65
Senate
19
79
House
40
59
Committee
20
80
100
50
0
50
100
No contact
Had contact
WHO MADE THE CONTACT?
Utility CEO/
21
17
61
Nuclear manager
Washington rep
16
15
67
Plant builders
50
14
34
Plant worker
51
21
27
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Percent
Not at all
Once
Several times
Base: Had contact
EFFECTIVENESS OF CONTACT
Percent
100
52
50
31
11
6
0
Not
Not
Somewhat
Very
sure
effective
effective
effective
Base: Had contact
GETTING INFORMATION TO CONGRESS
Ways to improve:
More personal contact
24
More briefings
12
More information/
11
greater detail
More credible/accurate
8
Improve public standing
8
Regular newsletter
7
Better lobbyists
6
Timely information
5
Opponents concerns
4
Brief communications
4
0
5
10
15
20
25
Percent
Volunteered
FAMILIARITY WITH NEAREST
NUCLEAR ENERGY PLANT
TOTAL CONGRESS
43
55
Senate
21
79
House
49
51
Committee
40
48
100
50
0
50
100
Not familiar
Familiar
SATISFACTION WITH CREDIBILITY
OF PLANT INFORMATION
Somewhat
satisfied 38%
Very
satisfied 40%
Not
Not sure 7%
satisfied 15%
Base: "Very" or "somewhat" familiar
NUCLEAR ENERGY PLANT VISIT
Percent
100
56
44
50
0
TOTAL CONGRESS
TOTAL CONGRESS
1988
1990
NUCLEAR PLANT OPERATIONS
How well informed?
Percent
100
67
66
56
51
50
34
31
15
11
0
TOTAL CONGRESS
TOTAL CONGRESS
1988
1990
Not well
Fairly well
Very well
NUCLEAR PLANT OPERATIONS
How well informed?
Percent
100
61
61
51
50
24
20
15
O
Total
Contact
Visited
Utility CEO
plant
Fairly well
Very well
NUCLEAR PLANT OPERATIONS
Level of familiarity:
Fuel handling/
57
12
69
waste disposal
Emergency planning
48
11
59
Plant licensing
48
10 58
License renewal
45
7 52
Plant maintenance
34
6 40
Drug/alcohol testing
33
7 40
Decommissioning
30
7 37
Training programs
25
6 31
0
50
100
Percent
Fairly well
Very well
Total informed
NUCLEAR ENERGY
Favor or oppose?
TOTAL CONGRESS 1988
16
77
TOTAL CONGRESS 1990
15
77
100
50
0
50
100
Oppose
Favor
"Not sure" omitted
1
NUCLEAR ENERGY
Favor or oppose?
Total
15
77
Contact Utility CEO
13
81
Visited plant
10
84
100
50
0
50
100
Oppose
Favor
"Not sure" omitted
1
CHANGE IN FAVORABILITY
TOWARD NUCLEAR ENERGY
More
favorable
33%
Oppose
15%
Favor
77%
Not sure
Same
8%
38%
Less
favorable
FAVOR OR
6%
OPPOSE?
CHANGE IN
FAVORABILITY
LEVEL OF OPPOSITION
TOWARD NUCLEAR ENERGY
Stronger
Not sure
5%
8%
Oppose
15%
Favor
Same
77%
7%
Milder
3%
FAVOR OR
OPPOSE?
CHANGE IN
OPPOSITION
NUCLEAR ENERGY PLANTS
Rating the safety:
Very safe 32%
85%
72% Safe
Somewhat
53%
safe
Not safe 12%
19% Not safe
1988
1990
"Not sure" omitted
IS PLANT SAFETY IMPROVING?
Yes
67
No
18
Not sure
15
0
50
100
Percent
ORDER PLANT BY 1995
Do you support goal?
Percent
100
55
50
22
23
0
Not sure
No
Yes
ORDER PLANT BY 1995
Support the goal:
Percent
100
63
60
55
50
0
Total
Contact utility CEO
Visited plant
LIKELIHOOD OF BUILDING PLANT
IN NEXT 10 YEARS
Percent
100
75
43
46
42
50
30
23
25
11
0
1988 Total Congress
1990 Total Congress
Not likely
Somewhat likely
Very likely
"Not sure" omitted
June
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
REQUEST FOR MEETING
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120662
FROM:
MINGAY, Don: ATOMIC ENERGY CORP. OF SOUTH AFRICA LIMITED
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 02/20/91
SUBJECT: REQUEST TO SCHEDULE A ONE HOUR MEETING TO DISCUSS
THE ISSUES CONFRONTING OSTP AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A
COLLABORATION OF U.S. AND S. AFRICAN INSTITUTIONS.
ASSIGNED TO: D. Allan Bromley
ACTION REQUIRED: AS NECESSARY
N
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
03/20/91
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: Thomas Ratchford
Dr. Wong
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
6/24/91 DAB met!
MN
P-Physical Sciences-
DATE RECEIVED: 03/06/91
FILE: INTERNATIONAL*ENERGY
Atomic Energy Corporation of South Africa Limited
PO Box 582 Pretoria 0001 Telephone: (012) 316-4911
RECEIVED
AECAEK
91 MAR 6 P2: 51
OFFICE OF THE
DIRECTOR
REFERENCE :
ENQUIRIES : D W MINGAY
TEL. NO.
: (012) 316-5853
DATE
: 1991-02-20
Prof D A Bromley
Scientific Advisor to the President
White House
Washington, D.C.
USA
Dear Allan,
The bi-annual ICENES Conference (Emerging Nuclear Energy Systems)
will be held in Monterey under the aegis of LLNL from 16 to 21 June
this year. I have been fortunate enough to have received funding to
attend this meeting. As a result, the opportunity arises to detour
slightly from the straight and narrow and stop-over in Washington for
example. Is there any chance that you might be able to find an odd
hour on Friday 14 or Saturday 15 June or else on Sunday 23 or Monday
24 June when I could have a chat with you. I am very aware of the
fact that your time is anything but your own these hectic days, but
there is no success without trying. It would be fascinating to meet
you in your new environment and follow up on discussions which ended
last time recognising only a few of the demands on time that such a
position would make on you and on your health. Every photograph
associated with reporting shows that you seem to have thrived on
these demands. I trust that this is the case and that you are indeed
keeping well and fit. I recognise also that many overnight shifts on
accelerators tends to prepare one better for long hour demands but
still, anno domini creeps in as well as avoirdupois!
Allan, this is a long shot that you might (a) be in Washington at
this time and (b) might be able to accommodate an hour or so for me.
Should the hour be available somewhere else, I would happily try to
modify my flight schedule to get there. I am holding thumbs.
My position has changed and I head up four programs under the group
title of Energy Systems which include the 20 MW research reactor, the
reactor theory group (which inter alia do Koeberg Reload Design and
Safety Analysis), Material Technology which includes surface physics
and a large hot cell complex for complete destructive and
non-destructive testing of reactor fuel elements, surveilllance
samples etc, the van de Graaff and the tokamak based plasma physics
group. It is a challenge, operating on diminishing budget, drastic
Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet
(George Bush Library)
Document No.
Subject/Title of Document
Date
Restriction
Class.
and Type
02. Letter
To: Allan Bromley From: Don Mingay
2/20/91
(b)(6)
Re: Request for meeting [personal information redacted] (1
pp.)
Collection:
Record Group:
Bush Presidential Records
Office:
Science and Technology Policy, Office of (OSTP)
Series:
Bromley, D. Allan, Files
Subseries:
General Science Files
WHORM Cat.:
File Location:
Physical Science: Energy [2 of 2] [1991]
Date Closed:
3/29/2010
OA/ID Number:
62043-005
FOIA/SYS Case #:
2005-0336-F
Appeal Case #:
Re-review Case #:
Appeal Disposition:
P-2/P-5 Review Case #:
Disposition Date:
AR Case #:
MR Case #:
AR Disposition:
MR Disposition:
AR Disposition Date:
MR Disposition Date:
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - [44 U.S.C. 2204(a)]
Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)]
P-1 National Security Classified Information [(a)(1) of the PRA]
(b)(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA]
P-2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA]
(b)(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of an
P-3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA]
agency [(b)(2) of the FOIA]
P-4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
(b)(3) Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIA]
financial information [(a)(4) of the PRA]
(b)(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
P-5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
information [(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA]
(b)(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
P-6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy [(b)(6) of the FOIA]
personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA]
(b)(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed of
(b)(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
gift.
financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA]
(b)(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
PRM. Removed as a personal record misfile.
2
staff reductions and having to earn a growing component of our income from
external contracts. There are however excellent challenges and, as such,
opportunities, but not without heartache and sadness (we have reduced our
personnel by 47% over the past 3 years and the end is not yet in sight).
(b)(6)
I would be fascinated to hear about any of the many issues that have
confronted you and in particular your feelings about possible
collaboration in future of U.S.A. with South African Institutions,
following the final demise of Apartheid which is not far away. There is
much to be said.
All best wishes to you,
Sincerely
Don
Don Mingay
SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER: ENERGY SYSTEMS
Bush Library Photocopy
27-MAY-91 MON 16:17 AEC: ENERGY SYSTEMS
Atoomenergiekorporasie van Suid-Afrika E
Dr. Mingay is on your schedule
Atomic Energy Corporation of South Africa
on June 24 at 2:00pm, and I
will call him re details (see
Poebus 582 Pretoria 0001 PO Box 582 Pretoria 0001
Next to last paragraph.
Marian
Faksnommer:
Fax number:
(012) 316-5925
Indien al die bladsye nie bevredigend ontvang is nie, skakel asseblief (I
If all the pages are not satisfactorily received, please phone (012)
Verwysingsnommer:
Datum:
Reference number:
-
Date:
Anange totapi fme hum 10 Army
Aan:
Prof. DA Bromley
Faksnommer
To:
Fax number:
Vir aandag:
Getal bladsye (dekbladsy ingesturt):
For attention:
Number of pages (including cover page):
Van:
Telefoonnommer:
From:
Dr Don Mingay
Telephone number: (012) 316-5853
Boodskap:
Message:
Prof D A Bromley,
1991-05-24
Scientific Advisor to the President,
Office for Science and Technology Policy
White House Washington D.C.
Dear Allan,
We have been through a rather busy period of. late and my apologies for not
having reported back sooner following my cry for help relating to the visa
application by Lance Vogel. His trip was a great success and he feeds
back to me that we are actually doing well in maintaing a small but viable
forefront effort in developing new fast nodal-method calculational skills
for 3-D analyses for core and reflector which are now required. The USA
appears to be rather stagnant. in their general nuclear reactor theory
inactivity. I do however recognise, that when the USA revs up its actions,
it simply powers past small operators like ourselves. However, in the
meantime, it is good to have comments indicating a bit of envy from the
USA colleagues that we are progressing in our small way. He had a splendid
trip and interacted well at Penn State and Lawrence Berkeley where he gave
talks, and came back with a new lease of life. Again, my thanks for your
support and action.
My trip rears its head and I have planned to fly in to Washington late on
Sunday night. I will therefore be available all of Monday and fly out late
on Tuesday afternoon on my way home. I mention this simply since I
recognise that your schedule is obviously full and should you find an
alternative time to Monday at 2 p.m. as preferable, I will be available to
respond to any short term optimisation. On this point however, please ask
Marian to let me know exactly where and when I should present myself to
gain access to an office which is not just down the WNSL corridor!
As contact. before, I look forward tremendously to this trip and re-establishing
All very best wishes,
Sincerely
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
INFORMATION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120360
FROM:
BUCKMAN, FREDERICK W.
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 02/05/91
SUBJECT: NATIONAL ENERGY STRATEGY-CONSUMERS POWER'S SUPPORT
FOR THE MODULAR HIGH TEMPORATURE GAS-COLLED REACTOR
BEING A HIGH PRIORITY ELEMENT OF THIS REVIVAL EFFORT
ASSIGNED TO:
ACTION REQUIRED:
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: Dr. Wong
D. Allan Bromley
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
P. Physical Sciences -
DATE RECEIVED: 02/11/91
FILE: NUCLEAR ENERGY
9120360
Consumers
RECEIVED
Power
Frederick W. Buckman
President and
POWERING
91FEB 11 P12: 16
Chief Operating Officer
MICHIGAN'S PROGRESS
General Offices: 212 West Michigan Avenue, Jackson, MI 49201 (517) 788-1111
February 5, 1991
OFFICE OF THE
DIRECTOR
Dr. D. Allen Bromley, Director
Science & Technology Policy
White House Office
of Science & Technology
OEOB 360
17th & Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Dr. Bromley:
As the Nation prepares to enter the 21st century, we are
increasingly confronted with global competition for energy
resources as well as a rising tide of domestic awareness of
the environmental, social and economic consequences associated
with the available energy supply options. Perhaps at no
other time in our history has the need for a National Energy
Strategy been so important to our economic health.
The revival of the nuclear option is a most challenging
element of our National Energy Strategy. The purpose of my
letter is to reiterate our support for the Modular High
Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR) being a high priority
element of this revival effort.
We have evaluated the MHTGR as a future option on our
system and view it to be most attractive. While generic
issues of regulatory reform, waste disposal and broad public
support plus our current internal financial limitations
prevent us from aggressively pursuing the MHTGR in the
near-term, we are hopeful that this technology becomes a
realistic alternative in our long-term strategy to provide
safe, economic, environmentally responsible energy to our
Michigan customers.
A CMS ENERGY COMPANY
2
February 5, 1991
Dr. D. Allen Bromley
In the interim, we urge that the Government maintain a
stable, commercial MHTGR Program and give careful consideration
to deploying a close variant of the commercial MHTGR design
as a New Production Reactor. With maximum commonality and
close cooperation between the two programs, the commercial
MHTGR can be deployed for a modest, incremental effort.
If you would like to discuss this matter further, please
do not hesitate to call.
Sincerely,
Reduck Washing
FWB/dl
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
ACTION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120382
FROM:
MEYER, JAMES
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 02/02/91
SUBJECT: ELECTRICAL POWER FROM SEA-WATER FOR THE WORLD ENERGY
SUPPLY.
ASSIGNED TO: Dr. Wong
ACTION REQUIRED: DIRECT RESPONSE
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED: 2/14/91 by EW
COPIES TO:
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
Kook letter - shinldrot be aswerd letta"
mlss singly " that you for you
P-Physical Sciences -
DATE RECEIVED: 02/13/91
FILE: ENERGY
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20506
February 14, 1991
Dear Mr. Meyer:
Thank you for your interesting letter to our office.
We are unable to comment on "the merits or stupidity" of your proposal because we
have no expertise in this area. Perhaps you should try your idea on an
electrochemist to test its feasibility. Good luck!
Sincerely yours,
Associate Eugene Wong wing Director
for Physical Sciences and Engineering
Mr. James Meyer
351 Grafton Street
San Francisco, California 94112
NATIONAL SCIENCE ADUISOR
FEB 2,1991
WHITE HOUSE EXECUTIVE OFFICES
9120382
WASH, DE 20508
DEAR NATIONAL SCIENCE ADUISOR,
1 AM WRITING REGOARDING WHERE is BEST TO INVEST SCIENCE ASSETS.
THE PROPOSED SUPERCOLIDER SHOULD NOT BE BUILT BECAUSE NO NEW
DATA WILL COME OUT OF IT. HIGHER ENERGY COLISIONS BETWER 2 PARTICLES
WILL STILL BE PRODUCING PHOTONS AND PROTONS. TEN BILLION DOLLARS
MORE WILL NOT SHOW ANY OTHER RESULT so WHY NOT SPEND THE MONEY
ELSEWHERE?
SUPERFICIAL STUDIES I'VE DONE CONVINCE ME THAT ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
CAN BE DESIGNED TO PRODUCE ELECTRIC POWER FROM SERWATER. THESE CIRCUITS
USE GALUANIC FORCES THAT OCCUR WHENEVER TWO CONDUCTORS OF DIFFERENT
MATERIAL SUCH AS IRON AND ALUMINIUM CONTACT MOISTURE. 1 AM CONVINCED IN THE
OCEAN THIS PROCESS COULD SUPPLY ALL THE ENERGY THE WORLD COULD EVER
USE AND NOT POLUTION WOULD RESULT.
WHAT 15 NEEDED is A DEVISE TO COLLECT THE FORCE IN USEFUL AMMOUNTS
THE VAST NUMBERS INVOLVED NEED TO BE EXPLORED AND UNDERSTOOD. BUT, IT
15 NOT TOO DIFFUCULT TO SEE HOW A CIRCUIT COUND BE OPERATED WSING
KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THERMAL ELECTRIC AND ELECTROCHENICAL PROCESSES.
ONE CHARGE AT A TIME WOULD COLLECT TO BE HARUESTED. SINCE WELL OVER
FIFTY WATTS OF POWER ARE AUAILABLE PER POUND OF SEAWATER IT is EASY
TO SEE THE POTENTIAL HERE. THIS SOURCE is IN FACT GREATER THAN FUSION
AND EASIER THAN PEDELING A BIKE.
ONE OF
I MAY BE WRONG BUT WHY NOT TAKE A LOOK ATVTHE ONLY KNOWN
FORCES THAT EXISTS; THE CHARGE THAT MAKES RUST, CAUSES CHEMICAL CHANGE,
AND is AVAILABLE EVERYWNERE-SOME SOURCES BEING EASIER TO TAP THAN OTHERS.
THE REMOVAL OF CHARGE FROM SEAWATER CAN BE USED TO FREEZE OUT OF
SOLUTION PURE WATER. REMOVING FIFTY WATTS OF CHARGE CAN CAUSE
ONE POUND OF WATER TO FREEZE IF THE RIGHT CONDITIONS EXIST. so, NOT ONLY
is POWER AVAILABLE BUT FRESH WATER, ALSO,
PLEASE COMMENT ON THE MERITS OR STUPIDATY OF THIS PROPOSAL.
THANK YOU,
James Manager
JAMES MEYER
351 GRAFTON ST
DIRECTOR
341 -10
SAN FRANCISCO ,CA
94112
21 : 6V EI
RECEIVED
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
INFORMATION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120327
FROM:
WOLF, JAMES L. AND ALDEN MEYER
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 01/31/91
SUBJECT: A NATURAL ENERGY STRATEGY POLL.
ASSIGNED TO:
ACTION REQUIRED:
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: Dr. Wong
D. Allan Bromley
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
P. PHYSICAL SCIENCES-
DATE RECEIVED: 02/04/91
FILE: ENERGY
9120327
1725 K Street, N.W.
The
ALLIANCE
Suite 914
Washington, D.C. 20006-1401
A
To Save Energy
RECEIVED
Board of Directors
January 31, 1991
DIFEB 4 All 01
Chairman
Senator Timothy E. Wirth
Co-chairman
The Honorable D. Allan Bromley
Senator James M. Jeffords
Assistant to the President for Science & Technology
OFFICE OF THE
Founding Chairman
Old Executive Office Building
DIRECTOR
Charles H. Percy
17th and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Past Chairmen
Senator John Heinz
Washington, DC 20506
Daniel J. Evans
Treasurer
Dear Dr. Bromley:
Thomas P. Dickerson
General Partner
Tullis-Dickerson & Co., Inc.
As you consider what policies to include in a national energy strategy, we want
you to be aware of the results of a recent national poll sponsored by the Alliance
William A. Nitze
President
To Save Energy and the Union of Concerned Scientists concerning voters'
James L. Wolf
preference for different strategies. Public support, as Admiral Watkins has
Executive Director
stated, will be necessary for any set of policies to be enacted.
Norman R. Augustine
Chairman and CEO
The results of the poll are conclusive: the public overwhelmingly favors policies
Martin Marietta Corporation
promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy. As detailed in the enclosed
Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
poll:
Managing Partner
Dewey. Ballantine, Bushby
Palmer and Wood
By a margin of 76 percent to 21 percent, Americans believe that to meet
Edward J. Carlough
our energy needs we should reduce demand and use energy more efficiently
General President
Sheet Metal Workers' International
rather than opening oil drilling off our coasts and in wilderness areas.
Association
John W. Ellis
80 percent of Americans favor raising federal fuel efficiency standards for
Chairman and CEO
Puget Sound Power & Light Company
automobiles from the present 27.5 mpg to 40 mpg by the year 2000.
Robert K. Gray
Chairman and CEO
69 percent of voters believe that the United States should join other
Hill and Knowlton Public Affairs
Worldwide
industrialized countries in fighting global warming by committing to limit the
Thomas R. Kuhn
amount of carbon dioxide emissions from the U.S.
President
Edison Electric Institute
91 percent of Americans favor legislation to require new homes financed
George H. Lawrence
President
by FHA or VA mortgages to meet strict energy efficiency standards
American Gas Association
Mildred B. McCauley
75 percent of the people would give renewable energy the largest or next
Member Board of Directors
American Association of Retired Persons
largest share of the Department of Energy's R&D budget, and energy
Richard L. McGraw
conservation is their second priority.
Vice President of Corporate Affairs
COMSAT Corporation
These findings, and many others in the enclosed poll, form the basis of the
David 0. Maxwell
Chairman and CEO
principles and policies of a national energy strategy based upon energy
Fannie Mae
efficiency and renewable energy sources. We hope you will endorse such
Frank H. Pearl
Chairman
policies. American voters clearly would reject a national energy strategy that
Rappahannock Investment Company
does not incorporate these.
Russell W. Peterson
President Emeritus
If you have any questions concerning the poll, you may call either one of us, or
National Audubon Society
the pollsters who conducted it.
W.T. Stephens
Chairman and CEO
Manville Corporation
Yours truly,
Robert B. Stobaugh
Charles Edward Wilson Professor
of Business Administration
Harvard Business School
James Executive Junes L. Wolf Director well
Allen Meyer
W. Roger Strelow
Vice President
Alden Meyer
Bechtel Environmental, Inc.
Director, Energy and
Stephen Wiel
Alliance To Save Energy
Climate Change Program
Commissioner, State of Nevada
Union of Concerned Scientists
Public Service Commission
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
9160020
TYPE:
ACTION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120120
FROM:
WATKINS, JAMES D.
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE:
SUBJECT: THE NAT'L CRITICAL TECHNOLOGIES REPORT FOR THE
PRESIDENT TO SEND TO CONGRESS
ASSIGNED TO: D. Allan Bromley
bark
ACTION REQUIRED: AS NECESSARY
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO:
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
Physical Sciences -
DATE RECEIVED: 01/23/91
FILE: ENERGY NCT REPORT
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
January 29, 1991
Dear Jim:
Thank you for your letter of January 23 regarding the National Critical
Technologies report. For a variety of reasons, the government/private
sector panel enlisted to identify "national critical technologies" got
off to a slower start than I had hoped. The study now appears to be on
track and I expect to have the report in the hands of the President in
February and to the Congress in March. We have had excellent
cooperation from a number of agency personnel during the course of this
study including, prominently, Everet Beckner and others from the
Department of Energy. As a result of this input, we expect the report
to have major impact.
Sincerely,
Allan
D. Allan Bromley
Assistant to the President
for Science and Technology
Admiral James D. Watkins, U.S. Navy (Retired)
The Secretary of Energy
Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585
20
RIMENT OF
DEPA VOIDEINE STATES OF
The Secretary of Energy
Washington, DC 20585 CEIVED
January 23, 1991
91 JAN 24 A 9 : 49
OFFICE OF THE
DIRECTOR
The Honorable D. Allan Bromley
Assistant to the President
for Science and Technology
Director, Office of Science
and Technology Policy
The White House
Washington, D.C 20500
Dear Dr. Bromley:
This Department is working with the Office of Science
and Technology Policy to produce the National Critical
Technologies (NCT) Report for the President to send to
Congress, as mandated. At your request, I assigned
Under Secretary John Tuck to serve on the NCT Advisory
Panel.
I have been following the activities of the Panel and,
quite frankly, I am disappointed to find that not only
is the Report running very late in its preparation,
but it is also suffering from serious technical weakness
in many areas of interest to DOE. Mr. Tuck has found
it necessary to assign many sections of the Report
for rework by experts from the DOE staff and from the
Laboratories. Due to the importance of this work, I
hope that the other panel members are responding
similarly.
Sincerely,
James D. Watkins
Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired)
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
ACTION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120230
FROM:
MAYER, FREDERICK J.
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 01/21/91
SUBJECT: NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIELD OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
ASSIGNED TO: Dr. Wong
ACTION REQUIRED: AS APPROPRIATE
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED: 2/6/91 by KAE
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
P-Physical Sciences -
DATE RECEIVED: 01/29/91
FILE: INFORMATION ENERGY
9120230
1417 Dicken Drive
FJM APPLYING PHYSICS TO INDUSTRY
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
ASSOCIATES
313/663-0627
RECEIVED
January 21, 1991
91.1AN 29 A9: : 24
Dr. Allen D. Bromley, Science Advisor to the President
Executive Office of the President
OFFICE OF THE
Office of Science and Technology Policy
DIRECTOR
Room 360, Old Executive Office Building
Washington, D. C. 20506
Dear Dr. Bromley:
Since we have not met, I should mention that I am a plasma physicist
and I have been involved for over 20 years in both magnetic and
inertial fusion.
I am writing this letter to inform you of a potentially important
new development in the field of nuclear energy. As I know that
nuclear physics has been one area of interest for you for some time,
I wanted to let you know of this development before the "noise-
level" increases.
To get to the point, I and a colleague (Dr. John R. Reitz) now
believe that we have understood the "strange" and apparently nuclear
observations of the now-numerous, but not yet reproducible,
experiments called (incorrectly) "cold fusion", and the more recent
experiments called (correctly) cluster impact fusion. We describe
our results that explains the "cold fusion" observations in a paper
(to be published in May) that is entitled "Nuclear Energy Release in
Metals"; it also suggests straightforward tests of our theory.
In addition, we have completed a second overarching paper ("On Very-
Low Energy Nuclear Reactions") that describes the physics of the
cluster impact fusion experiments and its connection to "cold
fusion" and other anomalous experiments having nuclear observations
that have surfaced recently. I wanted to inform you of these
results, because it does now appear to us that a new and significant
1
source of nuclear energy will become available to us. I hasten to
add that we are, of course, quite aware of the physics communities
incredulity regarding such observations, and the negative atmosphere
surrounding them, however, there is, in our opinion, some exciting
new nuclear physics here, which can be both simply understood and
very usefully employed.
I am writing to let you know of these results early on, so that, if
there are specific people we should talking to (and are not), we
would like to know about them. We are presently involved in a
collaboration with Naval Research Laboratory in this area.
Finally, I would be happy to brief you or some of your colleagues on
these matters if you so wish. Please let me know.
Respectfully yours,
Freduich FrederichJ.Maya Maya
Frederick J. Mayer, PhD
President
2
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20506
February 6, 1991
Dear Dr. Mayer:
Thank you for writing to Dr. Bromley about your paper, "Nuclear Energy Release in
Metals." As nuclear physicists, Dr. Bromley and I both have followed the
developments in what has been termed "cold fusion" with interest and, perhaps, a
touch of incredulity.
I would appreciate your sending me a preprint of your paper so that I can get some
idea of the physics, chemistry, or whatever, that you associate with the measurements.
Sincerely,
Karl A. Erb
Assistant Director
for Physical Sciences and Engineering
Dr. Frederick J. Mayer
President
FJM Associates
1417 Dicken Drive
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
ACTION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120170
FROM:
WEST, HENRY S.
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 01/16/91
SUBJECT: CONTROLLING THE VOLTAGE OF LIGHTENING FOR ENERGY
ASSIGNED TO: Dr. Wong
Dan Pryor to respond to M- west
ACTION REQUIRED: AS NECESSARY
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED: 3/1/91 by 1 Pryor
COPIES TO:
Der-
would you take
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERS
care of this and
REMARKS:
(ie respond) planse?
sally will type you
No pose & log He
star out of our
quene thales Kal
Physical Sciences
DATE RECEIVED: 01/19/91
FILE: ENERGY
9/20/70
Menry S. West
7819 Reservoir Road
Port Edward, N.Y. 12828
October 18, 1976
Science Advisor to:
The President of the United States
Washington, D.C.
Re: Energy Potential
Dear Sir:
I have a theory, which if proved to be correct, could
provide us with an unlimited source of energy.
In the June issue of science Bigest on pages 22 and
23 there is an article entitled, "Lightning Demystified." Accord-
ing to this article the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration, while flying through 300 electrical storms, have deter-
mined cloud formations and conditions and temperature variations
necessary to produce electrification. The voltave measured at
the start of electrification was 1000 volts per meter, during
electrification voltage was measured at 240,000 volts per meter.
Knowing this, would not the next step be to find a sub-
stance formed that is better than clouds and placed in a compact,
inclosed container. My idea is not to make lightning but to con-
trole the voltage between 1000 volts and 240,000 so that there
would be a continuous flow of current.
The amperage in lightning, according to the Encyclopaedia
Britannica, has been measured at 100,000 amps. by using a nonlin-
ear resistance shunt.
I can visualize where this type of energy would create
problems. It would drain off electrons and protons from the
immediate area and internupt radio transmission and stop con-
ventional motors. Therefor any power plant would have to be
placed in a remote section. I can also visualize where this same
energy could be used for spacecrft inftreefabhrefuture.
Please forward this letter to the proper agency for
consideration and please acknowledge this letter.
This may seem like a wild scheme, but so was the harnesing
ing of electricity a comparatively short time ago.
Respectfully yours,
Henry S. West
Bush Preservation Library Photocopy
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20506
February 27, 1991
Mr. Henry S. West
7819 Reservoir Road
Fort Edward, N.Y. 12828
Dear Mr. West:
Thank you for your letter to Dr. Bromley which was recently received although it was
apparently written several years ago. I trust the delay was not in our mail system.
Harnessing atmospheric phenomena such as the aurora and lightning have been
considered as power sources. The energy available, however, is quite limited and
unreliable. In addition, there would be considerable engineering challenges to
overcome and environmental concerns to address. Nonetheless, as you point out, we
do need creative thinking such as yours in order to produce innovative alternative
energy sources.
Sincerely,
Donald Puyer Donald Pryor
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
ACTION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120228
FROM:
JACKSON, J. DAVID
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 01/14/91
SUBJECT: AN ENERGY POLICY FOR THE U.S. IN LIGHT OF THE
PERSIAN GULF CONFLICT.
ASSIGNED TO:
Dr. Wong
ACTION REQUIRED: FOR DAB
SIGNATURE
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
DATE COMPLETED:
3/18/91 by Don Pryor
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
3/15
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT
Daway Donfed
mor
REMARKS:
this
Sall
and
P-Physical Sciences
3 the $:1/20
DATE RECEIVED: 01/19/91
FILE: ENERGY PERSEN CULR
9120228
430 Vermont Avenue
Berkeley
California 94707-1742
14 January 1991
Dr. D. Allan Bromley
Science & Technology Assistant to the President
Old Executive Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20506
Dear Allan,
I am writing on the eve of armed conflict in the Persian Gulf about the urgent need
for a sensible energy policy for the U.S. Whatever the duration or outcome of the crisis
over Kuwait, the Gulf region will occupy our attention and demand massive commitment for
many years to come. The situation in that part of the world, with its oil resources, its
extremes of wealth and poverty, its religious and nationalistic fanaticism, is, and is likely
to remain, a powder keg. It may be naive to suggest that the U.S. can have any moderating
influence for productive change, but that is why I write.
Our profligate use of energy (a steady-state average per capita consumption of
energy of all forms of 11 kW !) has led us to dependence of the Gulf's oil and, in large part,
to our military involvement there today. A serious, long-term strategy for energy self-
sufficiency by, say, 2005 A.D. could be the linchpin in a policy that would bring positive
changes in the Persian Gulf region and the whole Mideast. An announced and
implemented campaign with a realistic time-table would have an influence on the thinking
of the oil sheikdoms and Iraq and Iran. The prospect of eventual loss of a major market for
their oil would, I hope, focus their minds and make them all amenable to suggestion.
Foreign policy objectives consonant with such a energy policy are fairly obvious mutual
down-scaling of armaments in the region, settlement of the Palestinian issue, movement
away from hereditary or dictatorial rule, and opening of the societies to individual freedoms
and some form of participative democracy (These last can be done within the framework of
religious mores if the fanaticism is eliminated.).
I am prompted to write to you because of the newspaper reports in the past month
of the "gutting by the White House Staff" of the report by Watkins's task force on a new
energy policy. The NY Times quoted one White House staffer as saying that, in the long
run, free enterprise is the best solution. While I gather that the report may have been more
of a laundry list of possible options than a coherent policy, I find it less than reassuring for
that long run to read of such a cavalier attitude in the White House. Perhaps you will tell
me it is not true. In any event, I urge you to devote your energies to persuading the
Administration to put forward a far-reaching strategy for energy self-sufficiency by early in
the next century, if not before. Nothing could be more important.
I look forward to seeing you at the end of April when we both sign the Register of
new Members of the N. A. S.
With best wishes, I am
Yours have sincerely,
J. David Jackson
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20506
March 18, 1991
Dear Dr. Dave Tackson:
Thank you for your letter of January 14 on energy policy. Now that the National
Energy Strategy has been released, I hope that the public debate can be focused on
issues rather than sketchy and misleading stories about the process of its
development. Thankfully, prospects are that this discussion will go on much longer
than did the war in the Gulf.
As you point out, there is ample opportunity for conservation in this country, and
there should be ample incentive. Pointing out that energy use amounts to a steady-
state average of 11 kW per capita is a dramatic statement of the room for
improvement. Steady progress has been made in reducing energy intensity (energy
consumption per dollar of GNP) -- more than 28 percent reduction between 1972 and
1989. Economists insist that the steady pace, despite volatility in costs, indicate that
the market is not elastic and that neither energy taxes nor regulations would be very
efficient. People need to be educated about energy use and today's options and we
need to develop more efficient technology for tomorrow.
The Strategy bears the unmistakable imprint of the approach taken by Admiral
Watkins. What it may lack in coherency, it may make up in balance, flexibility and
realism. A great deal of useful analysis has been done in the course of this work.
The Nation is in a much better position to understand its energy needs. The Strategy
does promise to avoid increasing our dependence on imported oil. It promises to
protect our environment. It proposes to expand domestic supplies of oil, gas, coal,
nuclear and renewable power. It proposes to encourage conservation and increase
efficiency. It recognizes the important role of research and development. Reaching
consensus on energy policy, implementing it and carrying it out are among my highest
priorities.
I, too, look forward to our meeting at the National Academy of Sciences in April.
Sincerely yours,
Damu D. Allan Bromley 50mley
Director
Dr. J. David Jackson
430 Vermont Avenue
Berkeley, California 94707-1742
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
ACTION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120203
FROM:
HALL, DARWIN C.
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 01/02/91
SUBJECT: CONTEMPORARY POLICY ISSUES (THE UNCERTAINTY OF COSTS
DUE TO POLICIES TO REDUCE CO2)
ASSIGNED TO: Dr. Wong
ACTION REQUIRED: DIRECT REPLY
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
02/08/91
DATE COMPLETED: 2/6/91 by KEE
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
P-Physical Sciences -
DATE RECEIVED: 01/19/91
FILE: ENERGY
"CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING"
TYPE:
ACTION
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 9120203
FROM:
HALL, DARWIN C.
TO:
DR. BROMLEY
DATE OF
CORRESPONDENCE: 01/02/91
SUBJECT: CONTEMPORARY POLICY ISSUES (THE UNCERTAINTY OF COSTS
DUE TO POLICIES TO REDUCE CO2)
ASSIGNED TO: Nancy Maynard
ACTION REQUIRED: DIRECT REPLY
SENDER'S DUE DATE:
OSTP DUE DATE:
02/08/91
DATE COMPLETED:
COPIES TO: D. Allan Bromley
WHITE HOUSE TRACKING #:
CONTACT PERSON:
REMARKS:
No
Action reg'd, they are
just offering a free copy of
a report WIB 3/26/91
P-Physical Sciences
DATE RECEIVED: 01/19/91
FILE: ENERGY
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20506
February 6, 1991
Dear Dr. Hall:
Thank you for sending reprints of two of your recent articles on energy technologies
to Dr. Bromley. They were referred to me, and I read them with interest - especially
in view of my current preoccupation with related issues on behalf of OSTP.
I might offer just one or two comments on your relative cost tables. It is our hope
and expectation that at least some technologies will make significant gains in relative
cost effectiveness in the future, either as a result of R&D or for other reasons.
Secondly, I was interested to read in the January issue of Mechanical Engineering
that the cost of producing nuclear power in France will fall to 0.22 francs per
kilowatt-hour in the 1990s, significantly below the estimate of 0.28 francs per kilowatt-
hour produced by a desulfurized coal plant.
Sincerely,
Karl Ab
Karl A. Erb
Assistant Director
for Physical Sciences and Engineering
Professor Darwin C. Hall
Editorial Office
Department of Economics
California State University
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, California 90840-4607
9/20203
Contemporary
Editorial Office
Policy Issues
Department of Economics
California State University
A journal of
Long Beach
Western Economic Association
International
Editor
Coeditors
Eldon J. Dvorak
Alejandra C. Edwards
CSU, Long Beach
CSU, Long Beach
January 2, 1991
Darwin C. Hall
CSU, Long Beach
Dr. D. Allan Bromley
Robert J. Michaels
CSU, Fullerton
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology
Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy
The White House
Washington D.C. 20503
Dear Dr. Bromley:
I read with interest your essay, "The Making of a Greenhouse
Policy,' Issues in Science and Technology, V.7, N.1, Fall 1990.
You rightly focused on the uncertainty of costs due to policies to
reduce CO2. My own articles, presented at the 64th Annual
Conference of the Western Economic Association International, have
something to add on that aspect of CO2 policy. I enclose reprints:
"Preliminary Estimates of Cumulative Private and External Costs of
Energy," Contemporary Policy Issues, V.8, N.3, July 1990, pp. 283-
307.
Amy L. Walton and Darwin C. Hall, "Solar Power,' Contemporary
Policy Issues, V.8, N.3, July 1990, pp. 240-254.
These two articles are part of an entire special edition devoted
to the economic issues involved. I enclose a brochure describing
this edition. I invite you to request from me a complimentary
copy.
Sincerely,
Drawn ( Hall
Darwin C. Hall
Coeditor and Professor
1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, California 90840-4607
(213) 985-5069; FAX (213) 985-8887