Congress Introduces Bipartisan American Leadership in Fusion Act

On September 24, Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Don Beyer (D-VA), Lori Trahan (D-MA), and James Gallagher (R-CA) introduced the bipartisan American Leadership in Fusion Act to accelerate commercial fusion acceleration.

The legislation would create a Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary of Fusion Energy to lead the Office of Fusion, pushing forward commercialization through new fusion facilities, research and development, supply chains, and partnerships, while supporting workforce development and codifying the Office of Fusion within U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Through public-private partnerships, it would add $10 billion in direct appropriations to ensure American leadership in fusion deployment.

The FIA, as the unified voice of the fusion industry, applauds and commends Representatives Lofgren, Obernolte, Gallagher, Trahan, and Beyer for introducing bipartisan legislation to advance the commercialization of fusion energy. The private fusion industry has attracted a record $4.5 billion in investment over the past year, but to deploy in the U.S. within the next decade, it needs a strong partner in the federal government. The American Leadership in Fusion Act provides the DOE with the necessary guidance to support commercialization, along with the government resources needed to develop the infrastructure and grow the public-private partnerships accelerating fusion’s deployment.

Here is the press release, along with the legislation.