January 11, 2007

Recovery of Costs for the Proprietary Use of the Advanced Photon Source

The Department of Energy is responsible for the operation of the Advanced Photon Source, a light source user facility at the Argonne National Laboratory. The facility was, until recently, operated for the Department by the University of Chicago. It is currently operated by UChicago Argonne, LLC. Using x-ray beams from the Advanced Photon Source, scientists conduct leading-edge research in areas such as material science, biology, physics and chemistry. The Advanced Photon Source was completed in 1995 at a cost of $467 million, and it was constructed to operate at an optimal capacity of 70 beam lines. Each beam line provides high intensity x-rays for research in almost all scientific disciplines for government, academia and the private sector. The annual operating budget of the facility is about $90 million, and the Department's Argonne Site Office administers the contract for Laboratory operations.