The US Department of Energy (DOE) has released its Fusion Science and Technology (FS&T) Roadmap, a national strategy to accelerate the development and commercialisation of fusion energy “on the most rapid, responsible timeline in history”.
The Roadmap defines DOE’s Build–Innovate–Grow strategy “to align public investment and private innovation to deliver commercial fusion power to the grid by the mid-2030s”.
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DOE says this effort advances President Trump’s Executive Order Unleashing American Energy, reinforcing the Administration’s commitment to expand domestic energy production and restore US energy dominance.
“For the first time, DOE, industry, and our National Labs will be aligned with a shared purpose – to accelerate the path to commercial fusion power and strengthen America’s leadership in energy innovation,” said Energy Department Under Secretary for Science Dr Darío Gil.
Developed with input from more than 600 scientists, engineers, and industry stakeholders, the Roadmap identifies the key research, materials, and technology gaps that must be closed to realise a Fusion Pilot Plant (FPP) and strengthen US leadership in the global fusion industry.
The strategy is built around three primary drivers:
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By GlobalData- Build critical infrastructure to close fusion materials and technology gaps;
- Innovate through advanced research, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence; and
- Grow the US fusion ecosystem through public-private partnerships, regional manufacturing hubs, and workforce development.
With more than $9bn in private investment already advancing burning-plasma demonstrations and prototype reactor designs, DOE says it is coordinating a national effort to close the remaining technical gaps – spanning materials, plasma systems, fuel cycles, and plant engineering.
The 52-page Roadmap outlines DOE’s plan to address these challenges through coordinated investments in six core fusion science and technology areas: structural materials, plasma-facing components, confinement systems, fuel cycle, blankets, and plant engineering and integration.
The activities outlined in the Fusion S&T Roadmap are focused on prioritising strategic directions for the DOE to further collaborate with the US Fusion Industry. DOE says its ability to support this Roadmap’s milestones and timelines of scaling up the domestic fusion private sector by the 2030s is contingent on the development of future public private partnerships. “This Roadmap is not committing DOE to specific funding levels, and future funding will be subject to Congressional appropriations.”
