The United States fusion energy community of scientists, researchers, engineers, and industry leaders jointly advocate for adding a demonstration fusion facility to the electric grid as soon as possible.
Additionally, transformative research collaborations are already happening through public-private partnerships.
Together, these combined efforts represent the most promising path to one day power your home with fusion energy.
The approach taken by the U.S. has three main components: international collaboration, public sector research, and private sector investments.
International Collaboration
The race is on around the world to harness the power of fusion energy. U.S. researchers regularly collaborate on fusion devices worldwide, providing scientific expertise, advanced diagnostics, and technology.
ITER (“The Way” in Latin) is one of the largest scientific experiments in human history, with 35 nations working in close partnership to build the world’s largest tokamak and prove the feasibility of fusion. The scientific community considers membership in the international ITER project to be essential. Each ITER member pays just a fraction of the planning and construction costs but receives all of the data resulting from the project.
ITER is not the only international fusion collaboration, though. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) oversees worldwide fusion partnerships and research as part of The United Nations.
Public Sector Research
Fusion has been researched and studied by academic institutions and government laboratories since the 1950s, efforts that have been critical to advancing the understanding of fusion energy. The Department of Energy is the most prominent supporter of fusion energy research in the United States.
With strong support from Congress, public investments in fusion have led to dozens of critical scientific discoveries that will pave the way for a commercialized fusion energy source. Public support also bolsters the efforts of private industry, with far-reaching effects on fusion research.
Private Sector Investments
Recently, there has been an influx of private sector interest in fusion. The United States is home to the most robust suite of fusion energy companies in the world.
The private sector is helping to attract new public attention by working in close collaboration with partners in government and academia, generating renewed excitement about the promise of fusion energy.
U.S. Fusion Energy Facilities
