Fusion energy is happening now: the global race to commercialization

By: Brian Babin

Originally posted in Real Clear Energy.

For decades, fusion energy was often seen as a concept from science fiction—a promise that seemed forever on the horizon. Today, that promise is finally within reach. Nations around the world are racing to harness the same power that fuels the Sun, and the stakes could not be higher: the country that commercializes fusion first will direct the course of global innovation, prosperity, and security for generations to come.

Considering what’s at stake, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee recently held a hearing on the state and future of fusion power—a clean, secure, and virtually limitless form of energy. Witnesses from the fusion industry, our National Labs, and academia detailed how advances in materials science, artificial intelligence, and high-temperature superconductors are rapidly accelerating progress toward commercial fusion. Their message was clear: this technology is moving from theory to reality, and the United States must be ready to capitalize on it. While America has long been the world leader in fusion energy research, other nations are investing aggressively to close the gap—and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is positioning itself to move first toward large-scale deployment. If we want to secure the industries of tomorrow, fusion energy must be a national priority today.

Across the globe, 53 fusion energy companies are working to bring fusion power to the market. Collectively, they’ve attracted over $10.5 billion in private investment, with major hyperscalers such as Google and Microsoft making significant contributions. Remarkably, more than 90% of this funding has been raised within the past five years. These companies are accelerating progress by integrating modern 21st-century technologies, such as artificial intelligence, with traditional 20th-century scientific methods.

At the end of 2022, Lawrence Livermore National Lab made history at the National Ignition Facility by achieving fusion breakeven, which means they successfully generated more energy than consumed. Follow-up experiments reproduced the result and even surpassed that milestone with increasingly higher energy yields. Industry experts anticipate that breakthroughs like these could place fusion power on the electric grid by the mid-2030s, if not earlier.

But the biggest question remains: whose grid will it be?

The CCP has made significant strides in fusion research, investing roughly twice as much public funding as any other country. Its government is rapidly building large-scale fusion facilities, and recent satellite images show a sprawling new fusion research hub under construction outside Beijing. If the U.S. fails to take decisive action to strengthen its own fusion initiatives, it risks ceding jobs, supply chains, and the global influence that comes with this transformative technology. But if we want to beat China, we can’t adopt its Soviet-style industrial policies—we learned that lesson during the Cold War. 

Fortunately, the Trump Administration recognizes the urgency. The Department of Energy (DOE) recently published its Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap, outlining a comprehensive national strategy to accelerate the development and commercialization of fusion energy. This roadmap aims to unify efforts across the U.S. fusion ecosystem—improving infrastructure, advancing cutting-edge research, and stimulating the growth of a dynamic network of public and private innovators.

Several elements of the administration’s strategy will be key to success. Chief among them is an emphasis on public-private partnership programs, which have proven essential for sector growth by facilitating resource sharing and dispersing project risks. This includes ongoing support for the successful Milestone-Based Fusion Energy Development Program, which—if managed effectively—could harness the elements of our private sector that make America the beacon of innovation.  

Additionally, the plan calls for the creation of robust supply chains for advanced materials crucial to the operation of fusion power plants. As more plants come online, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that the necessary resources are readily available to meet energy demands effectively. By fostering collaboration among researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers, we will undoubtedly expedite breakthroughs and innovations in this promising field, accelerating progress toward commercialization.

Bottom line: fusion doesn’t need an Apollo-sized budget—it needs clear federal leadership to match its ambition. And that’s what this administration is showing. This is more than a race for technology; it’s a race for global leadership, energy security, and economic strength. The U.S. has the talent and the capital. Now, with this roadmap, it’s time to take action and prove once again that America leads the way.

Featured image caption: A glimpse inside the Big Red Ball plasma device’s viewing port, where cathode tubes cast an orange glow of light. Photo by: UW–Madison.