The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced $46 million for eight companies advancing fusion power plant designs and research.
Fusion energy, which powers stars, holds the potential to provide a safe, abundant and environmentally friendly energy source for Earth, according to a May 31 news release. The funding, provided through the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program, aims to establish and strengthen U.S. leadership in the commercialization of fusion technology.
“We have generated energy by drawing power from the sun above us. Fusion offers the potential to create the power of the sun right here on Earth," U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in the release.
During the next five-10 years, the selected companies will tackle scientific and technological challenges, working toward creating designs for a fusion pilot plant, the release reported. This program draws inspiration from NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, which facilitated the development of commercial space launch capabilities.
“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to partnering with innovative researchers and companies across the country to take fusion energy past the lab and toward the grid,” Granholm added, according to the release.
“Fusion is a promising technology with the potential to play a transformative role in meeting the urgent need for reliable, carbon-free energy to power our country,” U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the release reported. “It’s exciting to see Washington state once again playing a leading role in the development of clean energy technologies and innovative solutions to help us tackle the climate crisis, and this award will help propel Zap Energy’s fusion research in Everett and Mukilteo.”
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, said this is a "pivotal point for advancing U.S. commercial fusion technology," according to the release.
"With the passage of the Energy Act of 2020 and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, Congress provided clear bipartisan direction and support for the Department of Energy to undertake an ambitious program to develop fusion technologies to be commercially deployable in the next 10 years," Manchin said in the release. "I am genuinely excited by the potential of fusion energy and technology to transform our future and contribute to our energy and national security.”
“I am very pleased to see this innovative public-private partnership program move forward. This was one of the key fusion energy provisions developed by the House Science, Space and Technology Committee — first authorized in the bipartisan Energy Act of 2020 and extended in the CHIPS and Science Act," U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., ranking member of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, said in the release. "These awards will address some of the most critical challenges to the commercialization of fusion energy, and I would like to congratulate all of the awardees for their impressive achievements to date."
She added the push needs to continue. The "progress and promise of fusion energy warrant our full support" moving forward, she added, according to the release.
“Commercial fusion energy will revolutionize the energy industry. As the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and co-chairman of the Congressional Fusion Caucus, I am proud to support funding that blends the scientific and technological expertise of the Office of Science and its national laboratories with the innovative approach of the private sector," U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., said in the release. "This is a major step to developing commercial fusion energy that will transform how America meets its energy needs and make our nation the global leader in fusion energy science and technology.”
“I am glad to see the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program begin its second year of building critical partnerships aimed at bringing fusion energy from our laboratories to powering our homes,” U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., said in the release. “This program presents a remarkable opportunity to harness the combined strength of the U.S. fusion private sector community and the nation's energy leaders to increase the potential of fusion energy and transform the global energy sector."
He noted this collaboration is "another big win for fusion energy," the release reported. He commended the DOE for its "leadership and vision in supporting this program."
“When I first put pen to paper drafting the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program three years ago, I had today’s announcement in mind,” U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Fusion Caucus, said in the release. “Eight companies, including Commonwealth Fusion Systems right here in Massachusetts, are leading the cutting-edge work being done across the United States to win the race to finally commercialize fusion energy.
"I’m proud to see this funding being deployed to bolster those efforts, and I look forward to working with Secretary Granholm, members of the bipartisan Congressional Fusion Caucus and our remarkable researchers to ensure this federal support continues until we unlock this limitless source of clean energy,” Trahan added, according to the release.
