Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO determined whether the Department of Energy's (DOE) expenses to close out its participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project were reasonable.

GAO noted that: (1) DOE's plans for an orderly closeout of its ITER activities appear reasonable; (2) in addition to the $12.2 million appropriation provided by Congress, DOE also plans to spend $7.1 million of fiscal year 1998 funds, bringing the total closeout costs to $19.3 million; and (3) DOE told GAO that it has a high level of confidence that no additional funds will be needed to close out all remaining ITER-related activities.