FIA Supports S.1111, the Bipartisan ADVANCE Act, to Clarify Regulation of Commercial Fusion Energy
FIA looks forward to working with the Senate for passage of S.1111, which would clarify fusion’s regulatory regime.
FIA looks forward to working with the Senate for passage of S.1111, which would clarify fusion’s regulatory regime.
Chairwoman of the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee Dianne Feinstein, along with Ranking Member John Kennedy, included $ million to invest in fusion energy research and $ million for a milestone-based public-private partnership program in their budget for the Senate’s Energy and Water FY 22 Appropriations Bill. The funding provided in this bill incorporates an…
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.