22. SLAC Linear Collider (Project 84-ER-133) The November 1984 Construction Project Sheet contained in the FY 1986 Congressional Budget Request Indicates that the SLC's total construction cost has increased by $3.4 million, from $112.0 million to $115.4 million "to reflect the impact of reduced first year funding and increased klystron costs". (a) Please provide a detailed explanation of each of the components of this cost increase. (b) How much of the project's contingency remains? (c) Does the increased cost include the 180 Hertz capability for the SLC and if not, how much additional cost will be required to achieve this capability? Answer: (a) The total SLC cost increase of $3.4 million shown in the November 1984 Construction Project Data Sheet has two components. Approximately $800,000 of the total is estimated to be due to inflation on the $8 million Congress appropriated in FY 1985 Instead of in FY 1984 as the DOE requested. The balance of approximately $2,600,000 is due to increased costs of the 50 MW klystron tubes and of the thyratrons. Production of the new klystron tubes was delayed from January 1984 to February 1985 because of technical problems with the high current cathodes, ceramic windows used to isolate tube vacuum from accelerator vacuum, and frequency Instability measured in prototypes. The switch tubes (thyratrons) used in the klystron modulators did not last in full power operations and new switch tubes are being procured from Industry. The increase in cost of the klystrons and the modulators is based on an estimate developed by SLAC for the November 7-8, 1984, DOE semiannual technical, cost, and schedule review. As of March 1, 1985, 16 of the new 50 MW tubes have been placed in the linac. Additional tubes will be installed as they become available. (b) The amount of contingency, $14.5 million, shown in the November 1984 Construction Project Data Sheet, is based on the November 7-8 DOE semiannual technical, cost, and schedule review. It represents the best estimate of contingency available at that time. The next semiannual review, scheduled for May 1985, will update this. The major known lien against contingency at this time is the cost of new thyratron switch tubes, which has a worst case estimate of about $2 million. This number may be reduced through a combination of modifications to the klystron modulator circuits and careful work with industrial sources. The remaining contingency is believed adequate to complete the project within the revised total estimated cost. (c) The $115.4 million total estimated cost does not include 180 Hertz capability for SLC. While the SLC itself will have the full potential for 180 Hertz operation, power substation equipment located along the linac must be upgraded to handle the higher average power requirement for operating 50 MW klystrons at 180 Hertz. The estimated cost of this equipment is approximately $5.5 million. 23. The November 1984 Construction Project Sheet contained in the FY 1986 Congressional Budget Request Indicates that the SLC's other project costs decreased from the October 1983 estimate by about $2.3 million, from about $23.7 million to nearly $21.4 million. What savings were made that resulted in this decrease? Answer: The change in "other project costs" (section 12.A.2) between the November 1984 Stanford Linear Collider (SLC) Construction Project Data Sheet (FY 1986 Congressional Budget Request) and the similar one for 1983 reflects a complex set of readjustments and changing needs and estimates with respect to the SLC project at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). The change is due predominantly to a reduction In the "R&D Necessary to Complete Construction" [section 12.A.2.(a)] estimated for FY 1985 and FY 1986 of approximately $2.4 million. Other adjustments in this section tend to offset each other over the three-year period (FY 1984 to FY 1986) shown in the data sheets. The changes in estimated R&D reflect primarlly: a shift in klystron development to multiple prototypes which must be costed under construction instead of R&D (a reflection of the nature of the klystron development problem) and exceptionally good progress in other areas of R&D in support of the SLC, driven in part by the very tight construction schedule. 24. The November 1984 Construction Project Sheet contained in the FY 1986 Congressional Budget Request Indicates that the SLC's total related Incremental annual costs in FY 1986 dollars has increased from the October 1983 estimate by $1.3 million, from $15.7 million to $17.0 million, but that the "programmatic operating costs directly related to the facility" decreased from $5.2 million to $2.5 million. What accounts for this decrease? Answer: The estimates for SLC "Other Related Annual Costs" shown in Section 12.B of the November 1984 Construction Project Data Sheet show two major changes from the October 1983 estimate. First the facility operating costs (12.8.1) have increased from $9,600,000 to $13,600,000. This is primarlly due to the substantial increase in electric power rates anticipated by FY 1987. The reduction in programmatic operating cost (12.B.2) from $5,200,000 in the October 1983 estimate to $2,500,000 in the November 1984 Construction Project Data Sheet reflects a reconsideration and more careful estimate of the costs to SLAC of carrying out the programmatic high energy physics research by in-house physicists and physicists from the user community. 25. What escalation rates were used in the October 1983 cost estimate for this project? What escalation rates were used in the November 1984 cost estimate for this project? What would the November 1984 cost estimate have been if the October 1983 escalation rates were used? Answer: The escalation rates used in the October 1983 estimate were 8 percent, 9 percent, and 9 percent, for the Fiscal Years 1984, 1985 and 1986, respectively. In the November 1984 estimate 8 percent and 7 percent were used for Fiscal Years 1985 and 1986. The FY 1984 figures are based on actual expenses as determined at the November 7-8, 1984, DOE semiannual technical, cost, and schedule review of the SLC project. The November 1984 cost estimate would be increased by about $2,800,000 if the October 1983 escalation factors were used for the two out-years and the actual FY 1984 costs are assumed for the first year of construction. 1. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S GENERAL For FY 1985 and FY 1986, please Identify, by accelerator facility, that portion of the Nuclear Physics funding going for the support of facilities, such as the Clinton P. Anderson Meson Facility at Los Alamos (LAMPF). * Includes $3,100,000 Defense Programs support of LAMPF operations. Each of the above facilities provides beam time for nonproprietary research on the basis of scientific priority and technical feasibility of experimental proposals reviewed by peer review committees called program advisory committees. The "program advisory committee" for a given facility is appointed by and reports to the director of that facility. Typically 40% to 60% of each facility's beam time for research is made available to outside, university-based users. The above Facility Operations costs include all costs of accelerator operations (including electric power) and maintenance as well as the costs of operating and maintaining permanently installed equipment such as beam lines, beam dumps, and magnetic spectrometers. Not Included are costs of setup and execution of individual experiments, support of in-house research, support of outside user research, or Plant and Capital additions to the accelerator laboratory. To complement these national accelerator facilities, the Nuclear Physics program supports dedicated on-campus accelerators at Yale University, Duke University, University of Washington, and Texas A&M University. In FY 1985 operations costs of the dedicated on-campus facilities are estimated at $3,140,000; $3,140,000 is al so budgeted for FY 1986. 2. Please provide, by accelerator facility, utilization figures for FY 1985 and FY 1986. What would be an optimal level of utilization for each accelerator facility, and what funding level would be required at each facility in FY 1986 to achieve this optimal level of utilization? 3. * First operation in FY 1986 In FY 1986 full utilization of these national accelerator facilities would be 42,000 beam hours for research. A 60% utilization factor represents a reasonable goal for effective utilization of these facilities. Attainment of a 60% utilization factor in FY 1986 would require $162.7 million in total operating expenses for the Nuclear Physics program in FY 1986. This total includes costs of accelerator facility operations and associated In-house and user research. For FY 1985 and FY 1986, please provide, by DOE laboratory, the amount of 4. 5. Total Plant and Capital * Includes $5,000,000 for the Tandem/AGS Heavy Ion Transfer Line ** Includes $3,300,000 each year for laboratory-wide General Purpose For FY 1985 and FY 1986, please provide the amount of Nuclear Physics fund- Answer: In FY 1985, the DOE's Nuclear Physics program plans to provide For FY 1985 and FY 1986, please provide, by entity, actual and estimated Nuclear Physics funding going to non-DOE laboratory, non-university entities, including Industrial firms. Answer: The planned funding for FY 1985 and requested funding for FY 1986 to non-DOE laboratory and nonuniversity entities, including Industrial firms is given in the following table: |