[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 115 (Tuesday, July 31, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5734-S5735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mr. Alexander, and Mr. Durbin):
S. 3459. A bill to amend the Department of Energy High-End Computing
Revitalization Act of 2004 to improve the high-end computing research
and development program of the Department of Energy, and for other
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Department
of Energy High-End Computing Improvement Act of 2012, along with my co-
sponsors, Senators Alexander and Durbin. This bipartisan bill addresses
the need for ongoing high performance computing and the establishment
of an exascale program within the Department of Energy, DOE.
America's leadership in high performance computing, HPC, is essential
to a vast range of national priorities in science, energy, environment,
health, and national security. For decades the U.S. was the leader in
HPC through collaborative efforts led by the DOE between national
laboratories, academia, and industry. Investments in HPC have
facilitated extraordinary scientific and technological advances that
have enabled a wide range of simulation and analysis saving time,
money, energy and fuel, which has strengthened the U.S. economy and
contributed to national security.
U.S. leadership in HPC has recently been challenged through
significant governmental investment in HPC programs in Japan, China,
South Korea, Russia, and the European Union, and the race to exascale
computing is on. Exascale computers will be able to perform 10 to the
18th power floating point operations per second making them 1000 times
more powerful than the most advanced computers today. These new
computers will require the development of new software and computer
architectures with improved power consumption, memory, and reliability.
This bipartisan bill updates the Department of Energy High-End
Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 to preserve DOE HPC and to
distinguish the exascale initiative from other high-end computing
efforts. Based on input from the DOE, appropriate funding levels are
established through this bill to support the exascale initiative
through fiscal year 2015. This bill will ensure that the U.S. remains
competitive in the race to exascale and as with previous generations of
HPC systems, the resulting technological advances will further support
Federal priorities like research and national security and will be
integrated into electronics industries strengthening high-tech
competitiveness and driving economic growth.
I would like to conclude by taking a moment to acknowledge the
exceptional efforts of a few staff members who have worked diligently
to help craft this important piece of legislation. Jonathan Epstein, a
former staff member on my Energy and Natural Resources Committee and
current staff member on the Armed Services Committee and Jennifer
Nekuda Malik, a AAAS Science Policy Fellow on my Energy and Natural
Resources Committee worked with Neena Imam, a Legislative Fellow on
Senator Alexander's staff and Tom Craig, a staff member on the
Appropriations Committee, to update the DOE's high-end computing
program to account for changes since the Department of Energy High-End
Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 and establish the exascale
computing program. I appreciate the efforts of these staff members and
I thank them for their work.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 3459
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Energy High-
End Computing Improvement Act of 2012''.
SEC. 2. RENAMING OF ACT.
(a) In General.--Section 1 of the Department of Energy
High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 5501
note; Public Law 108-423) is amended by striking ``Department
of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004'' and
inserting ``Department of Energy High-End Computing Act of
2012''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 976(a)(1) of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16316(1)) is amended by
striking ``Department of Energy High-End Computing
Revitalization Act of 2004'' and inserting ``Department of
Energy High-End Computing Act of 2012''.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
Section 2 of the Department of Energy High-End Computing
Act of 2012 (15 U.S.C. 5541) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as
paragraphs (3) through (6), respectively;
(2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
``(1) Department.--The term `Department' means the
Department of Energy.
``(2) Exascale computing.--The term `exascale computing'
means computing through the use of a computing machine that
performs near or above 10 to the 18th power floating point
operations per second.''; and
(3) in paragraph (6) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)), by
striking ``, acting through the Director of the Office of
Science of the Department of Energy''.
SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HIGH-END COMPUTING RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
Section 3 of the Department of Energy High-End Computing
Act of 2012 (15 U.S.C. 5542) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``program'' and
inserting ``coordinated program across the Department'';
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ``, which may'' and
all that follows through ``architectures''; and
(3) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
``(d) Exascale Computing Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a research
program (referred to in this subsection as the `program') to
develop 1 or more exascale computing machines to promote the
missions of the Department.
``(2) Coordination.--In carrying out the program, the
Secretary shall coordinate the development of 1 or more
exascale computing machines across all applicable agencies of
the Department.
``(3) Codesign.--The Secretary shall carry out the program
through an integration of application, computer science, and
computer hardware architecture using public-private
partnerships to ensure that, to the maximum extent
practicable, 1 or more exascale computing machines are
capable of solving Department target applications and
scientific problems.
``(4) Merit review.--The development of 1 or more exascale
computing machines shall be conducted through a merit review
process.
``(5) Annual reports.--At the time of the budget submission
of the Department for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall
submit to Congress a report that describes funding for the
exascale computing program as a whole by functional element
of the Department and critical milestones.''.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 4 of the Department of Energy High-End Computing
Act of 2012 (15 U.S.C. 5543) is amended--
(1) by striking ``this Act'' and inserting ``section
3(d)''; and
[[Page S5735]]
(2) by striking paragraphs (1) through (3) and inserting
the following:
``(1) $110,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
``(2) $220,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; and
``(3) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2015.''.
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