On June 9, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its finalized Fusion Science and Technology (S&T) Roadmap, outlining a coordinated strategy to accelerate commercial fusion deployment, with the aim to “to enable the delivery of a U.S. fusion pilot power plant in the mid-2030s.”
The European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group new Task Force on Fusion Energy held its inaugural meeting on 26-27 May 2026 in Cadarache, France with representatives from Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the European Commission, and observers from the IAEA and the UK.
European fusion CEOs urge the EU to ‘seize the opportunity’ and increase investment and build regulatory frameworks for the fusion industry as the private sector is outpacing current EU fusion provisions.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) announced a $135 million investment in fusion, marking the largest in its history, and more than it has invested in fusion over the past 12 years combined ($134M). The funding, to be deployed over multiple programs in the next 18 months, aims to accelerate commercially viable fusion power.
On 27 January 2026, the Fusion Industry Association (FIA) convened policymakers, industry leaders, and investors at the European Parliament for the high-level public hearing event “Fusion Energy in Europe: Call for Action.” The event marked a decisive moment for Europe’s fusion community, as political attention converged with growing industrial readiness.
Following the U.S. Department of Energy’s recent reorganization to create a dedicated Office of Fusion, Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced a bill to codify the Office of Fusion on December 11. The legislation would cement the dedicated office to prioritize energy production, enhance American energy security, and promote U.S. leadership in fusion. On December 15, Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), Don Beyer (D-Virginia), and Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
At a roundtable with the Department of Energy, the private fusion industry urged officials to invest billions in order to compete with China.
Global electricity demand is surging, driven by artificial intelligence and data centers, advanced manufacturing, quantum computing, and cryptocurrency. Fusion offers the promise of virtually unlimited, secure, and affordable power that will transform the global economy for generations. It is the key to unlocking the energy leadership required to compete and win as a country. And with the private sector’s push to deliver electrons on the grid in the early 2030s, commercial fusion is no longer a question of “when.” It is a question of who does it first and where.
The FIA’s letter to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright provides an outline of fusion priorities for the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request. In order for the U.S. to win the fusion race, it must adequately resource government programs and partnerships dedicated to commercially-relevant R&D and the deployment of fusion power.
In their recent reorganization on November 20, the U.S. Department of Energy created an Office of Fusion. The FIA has advocated for restoring the Office of Fusion Energy, led by an Assistant Secretary of Energy, to support a wide range of viable fusion commercialization approaches and to address challenges beyond fundamental science. Fusion energy represents one of the most transformative opportunities to secure America’s, and the world’s, energy future; separating fusion from the Office of Science sends an unmistakable signal that the United States is serious about leading the global fusion energy race.
Magnetic confinement: Plasma is heated to 100 million °C or more, then squeezed and held in place by strong magnetic fields, allowing many fusion reactions to occur. (Example: tokamaks, stellarators)
Inertial confinement: Tiny fuel pellets are struck by powerful lasers. The outer layer explodes outward, compressing the core to fusion conditions for a few nanoseconds, producing a brief but intense pulse of energy from each pellet. (Example: National Ignition Facility)
Hybrid systems: Combine compression (e.g., from lasers, plasma pistons, or mechanical impact) with moderate magnetic fields to reduce energy losses and improve confinement.
Electrostatic fusion: Uses high electric potentials to accelerate ions toward a central reaction zone, causing them to collide at high energies and fuse. The ions are guided and confined by electric fields rather than magnets, creating a compact environment for fusion reactions.