Schumer, Gillibrand Launch Push To Secure $78 Million In Fed Funding For Rochester Laser Lab In 2017 Budget-Funding Will Keep University Of Rochester At The Cutting Edge Of High-Tech Energy Research & Develop New Pulsed-Power Facility

Press Release

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today launched their push to secure $78 million in federal funding for the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE). Schumer and Gillibrand urged federal appropriators to include this funding in the FY 2017 budget. With the first $68 million in funding, the University of Rochester will be able to continue its critical research and work in fusion power, which has the potential to completely eradicate U.S. dependence on foreign oil. This funding will provide the necessary resources to support the Lab's research program and operations and experiments on OMEGA, which is the second most powerful ultraviolet fusion laser in the world. The additional $10 million will allow the laser lab to partner with Sandia National Laboratories to develop a new, university-scale pulsed power facility, which will provide the advanced research that will help develop the next generation pulsed power system that will be mated with the existing OMEGA-EP laser.

Schumer and Gillibrand have long fought to ensure the Rochester laser lab has the funding it needs to maintain hundreds of good-paying, local jobs and continue its cutting edge research. In the FY 2016 omnibus spending bill, the Senators secured $68 million in federal funds for the laser lab. Absent this level of funding, the Lab could have been forced to lay off scientists and engineers, and reduce their capacity and partnerships with national laboratories.

"We need this funding for the Rochester Laser Lab included in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill for 2017 so we can ensure this world-class facility is not forced to lay off scientists and engineers, and that its partnerships with national laboratories and spin-off businesses do not suffer. On top of this, these federal funds would allow the laser lab to embark on a new project aimed at developing the next generation of high-tech, high-powered lasers," said Senator Schumer. "The U.S. is currently the global leader in high-energy laser technologies -- this funding will not only ensure Rochester can continue as a job-creating center of scientific talent, but allow UofR to keep this nation at the forefront of this research and on the cutting edge of laser innovation."

"Earlier this year, I visited the University of Rochester and saw firsthand their state-of-the-art facilities. The University remains at the forefront of our nation's quest to find affordable and efficient sources of energy," said Senator Gillibrand. "These federal funds would facilitate the resources needed to advance this growing industry, create jobs, and help launch new start-up companies. I will continue to work hard to include this funding in the Fiscal Year 2017 appropriations bill to ensure our nation's edge in research remains in Rochester and continue to develop a thriving industry for growing businesses of the future."

Established in 1970, the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) of the University of Rochester is a unique national resource for research and education in science and technology and a major asset of the University not found at any other university in the country. Both the Rochester area and the University have a history of innovation that provides a singular environment for LLE within a technologically sophisticated scientific community.

LLE is home to the OMEGA laser, which is the second most powerful ultraviolet fusion laser in the world, and the OMEGA EP (Extended Performance) laser, a high-intensity, high-energy short-pulse laser, and serves as the principal laser research facility for three national laboratories. The center's primary goal is to investigate the interaction of intense radiation with matter and to support the National Ignition Campaign (NIC) using OMEGA and OMEGA EP as well as validate advanced concepts for ICF to be used on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in order to demonstrate ignition and energy gain. It is a vital component of our nation's scientific capital and leadership, and key to strategic work on an independent energy future.

"I want to express my gratitude to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for their continued support and leadership on behalf of the University's Laboratory for Laser Energetics," said University of Rochester President and CEO Joel Seligman. "Thanks to their efforts, the Laboratory continues to push the frontiers of science to enhance our national and economic security, and to keep us at the forefront of strategic work on an independent energy future."

As one of the leading institutions training the next generation of leaders in the fields of physics, optics, and material science, LLE is an economic development magnet that bolsters local high tech jobs and attracts scientific talent to Rochester. The LLE currently employs 316 full-time staff members, 20 University Faculty members and 5 contract employees. Since its inception, the LLE has attracted almost $2 billion to New York State to support cutting edge research, and 500 individuals are currently involved in the program. Through the LLE's mission, the University also attracts more than 400 additional visiting scientists each year to Rochester from national laboratories, universities, and companies and currently hosts over 141 students (graduate, undergraduate, and high school).

Source