U.S. Congress Holds Hearing on “Igniting America’s Energy Future: The Promise and Progress of Fusion Power”
The Energy Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing on September 18 on “Igniting America’s Energy Future: The Promise and Progress of Fusion Power.” Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ CEO Bob Mumgaard and Pacific Fusion CEO Will Regan – both members of the FIA – testified, as well as Dr. Stephanie Diem, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Dr. Troy Carter, Director of the Fusion Energy Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Subcommittee Chair Randy Weber (R-Texas), Ranking Member Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), Committee Chair Brian Babin (R-Texas), and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) delivered opening statements before witness testimony and questioning commenced. Their remarks emphasized fusion energy’s critical role in meeting U.S. energy demands and advancing national strategic interests—including strengthening supply chains, building the workforce, and staying competitive with China’s progress in fusion technology. The opening remarks discussion also highlighted the need for increased federal support and the importance of fostering strong public-private partnerships to achieve these goals.
The witnesses then delivered their opening statements, each highlighting key aspects of the fusion industry and its surrounding ecosystem. Dr. Stephanie Diem, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, emphasized the critical role of federal funding for universities in cultivating an agile workforce and driving innovation. Dr. Will Regan, Co-Founder and President of Pacific Fusion, stressed the need to expand the domestic fusion workforce, scale supply chains, ensure regulatory certainty, and leverage existing infrastructure. Dr. Troy Carter, Director of the Fusion Energy Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, spoke to the vital contributions of national laboratories in fusion research and development, emphasizing the need for sustained public-sector investment. Dr. Bob Mumgaard, Co-Founder and CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, called for action to develop commercial fusion power plants and highlighted the urgency of staying competitive with China’s advancements in the field.
Following the witnesses’ testimonies, members of Congress posed questions on a range of topics, including the allocation of federal funding for fusion, the importance of supporting university-based research programs, and the role of fusion energy in advancing U.S. national security objectives.
Representative Weber: “According to the Fusion Industry Association, only 23% of employees in the sector are scientists and 44% are engineers, leaving a significant portion of the workforce without advanced degrees. The industry is growing rapidly, growing by a staggering 50% in the last two years, while the supply chain has tripled in those same two years. Many fusion companies project operational pilot plants by 2035, with the workforce expected to increase six fold at this stage, not including additional supply chain demand. ”
Representative Ross: “The US is at a critical moment to develop fusion as a carbon neutral sustainable source of energy. Breakthroughs in plasma physics, technology, public-private partnerships and private sector innovation are giving us reasons to believe that fusion can become a game changer for clean power, climate resilience, energy security, and economic opportunity.” … “Many of our witnesses today will discuss how our nation’s competitiveness in fusion is threatened by the absence of federal investments in major new facilities. Investments that would help address key gaps in material science, and technology development. Without that support, the US will likely fall behind both scientifically and economically in yet another critical new industry. The federal role remains essential. Challenges like ensuring the stability of burning plasma, materials resilience, and reactor system design require substantial federal support. A trained workforce and demonstration projects that can scale from experiments to net energy gain. These are the building blocks for a new clean energy future for all of us.”
Representative Lofgren: “The Milestone based public private partnership is excellent, it has made a big difference…we have seen an infusion of private sector investments in fusion, $3.5 billion in the last 15 months alone, most of that going to companies located in the United States, but China is ahead of us and I am very concerned that we are not making the investments necessary to be the winners in this.”
You can watch the hearing in full below.
September 22, 2025
