Federal Research: Superconducting Super Collider's Total Estimated Cost Will Exceed $11 Billion

GAO discussed the estimated cost of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) and indications of further cost increases. GAO noted that: (1) DOE estimated in 1991 that SSC would cost $8.25 billion, but it did not include $1.2 billion in costs that are expected to be funded by other sources; (2) the total estimated costs for constructing SSC will exceed $11 billion; (3) annual funding limitations will increase costs by $1.6 billion to $2.4 billion and lengthen the SSC construction schedule; (4) the project's cost and control system does not produce accurate monthly cost performance reports because of problems with the project's baseline cost estimates and the allocation of costs among tasks; (5) DOE and the prime contractor have not recorded cost increases in a timely manner, which hampers Congress' oversight of the project; (6) project costs will increase because many of the high technical and cost risk items have not been completed; and (7) DOE expects to receive only $400,000 from foreign contributions, which will necessitate Congress reconsidering its funding of SSC.