▁circum ference ▁was ▁ ▁with ▁an ▁energy ▁of ▁ 2 0 ▁Te V ▁per ▁pro ton ▁and ▁was ▁set ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁and ▁most ▁ener get ic . ▁The ▁project ' s ▁director ▁was ▁Michael ▁Johnson , ▁a ▁phys ic ist ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Texas ▁A & M . ▁Dr . ▁Louis ▁I ann iel lo ▁served ▁as ▁its ▁first ▁Project ▁Director ▁for ▁ 1 5 ▁months . ▁After ▁ 2 2 . 5 ▁km ▁( 1 4 ▁mi ) ▁of ▁tunnel ▁were ▁b ored ▁and ▁nearly ▁two ▁billion ▁dollars ▁were ▁spent , ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁cancel led ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁due ▁to ▁budget ▁problems . ▁ ▁Pro pos al ▁and ▁development ▁▁ ▁The ▁system ▁was ▁first ▁formally ▁discussed ▁in ▁the ▁December ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁National ▁Reference ▁Design s ▁Study , ▁which ▁exam ined ▁the ▁technical ▁and ▁economic ▁feas ibility ▁of ▁a ▁machine ▁with ▁the ▁design ▁capacity ▁of ▁ 2 0 ▁Te V ▁per ▁pro ton . ▁F erm il ab ▁director ▁and ▁subsequent ▁Nobel ▁physics ▁pri zew inner ▁Leon ▁Led erman ▁was ▁a ▁very ▁prominent ▁early ▁supp orter ▁– ▁some ▁sources ▁say ▁the ▁architect ▁or ▁propos er ▁– ▁of ▁the ▁Super con duct ing ▁Super ▁Coll ider ▁project , ▁which ▁was ▁end ors ed ▁around ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁and ▁a ▁major ▁pro ponent ▁and ▁advoc ate ▁throughout ▁its ▁lifetime . ▁ ▁An ▁extensive ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁Energy ▁review ▁was ▁done ▁during ▁the ▁mid - 1 9