FIA Urges U.S. DOE to Match Its Fusion Ambition With Strong FY28 Federal Budget

On August 13, the Fusion Industry Association (FIA) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Wright calling for a strong federal FY28 budget for fusion, aligned with both the DOE’s Fusion Science & Technology Roadmap and White House’s FY28 Research and Development Priorities Memorandum. Both call for “demonstrating commercial fusion power in the United States by the mid-2030s.” To achieve this, FIA urges DOE to move beyond the status quo and provide the resources and authority necessary to lead globally.

This includes fully funding the DOE fusion program at its authorized topline of $1.114 billion, while expanding support for public-private partnerships, research infrastructure, and commercial demonstration. Among FIA’s FY28 recommendations are:

• $1.114 billion for DOE fusion investment.
• $2 billion to fully fund the Milestone program, plus $3 billion for a new demonstration tier to support commercial pilot plants.
• $50 million for Alternative & Enabling Concepts, including at least $10 million for INFUSE.
• $50 million for Inertial Fusion Energy research, including IFE-STAR innovation hubs.
• $180 million for FIRE Collaborative programs.
• Continued funding for the Private Facilities Research program.
• Full funding for the fusion BRIDGE program to accelerate public-private R&D partnerships.
• Full funding for the Genesis Mission to harness AI, exascale computing, and quantum technologies to accelerate scientific discovery.

The United States has an opportunity to lead in commercial fusion, but realizing that opportunity will require sustained federal investment and a DOE fusion program empowered to move with urgency.

You can read the full letter below.