The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $134 million in funding to accelerate the development of fusion energy technologies and strengthen partnerships between the private sector, national laboratories, and universities
The investment will support two major initiatives, the Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives and the Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) program.
These programs are part of DOE’s broader strategy to advance American energy independence and scientific leadership by enabling the development of fusion energy technologies on U.S. soil.
Fusion innovation research engine (FIRE) collaboratives
The DOE is awarding $128 million to seven research teams through the FIRE Collaboratives. These virtual, centrally managed teams aim to build an innovation ecosystem focused on fusion energy science and technology. The goal is to close the gap between basic scientific research in fusion and the growing demands of the commercial fusion energy industry.
The FIRE Collaboratives are designed to complement the DOE’s Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program with private-sector innovation. By doing this, the program aims to accelerate the translation of fusion science breakthroughs into practical, scalable technologies that could lead to the development of commercial fusion power plants.
The DOE expects to invest up to $220 million in total funding for FIRE over four years. The current $31 million allocation is for Fiscal Year 2025, with future funding subject to congressional approval.
Innovation network for fusion energy (INFUSE)
In addition to the FIRE Collaboratives, the DOE is providing $6.1 million to fund 20 projects through the INFUSE program. This initiative is specifically designed to reduce barriers to collaboration between private companies and DOE’s national labs or academic institutions.
The INFUSE program supports projects in various technical areas that are crucial to fusion energy development. These include materials science, laser technology, high-temperature superconducting magnets, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for modelling and simulation. The program also focuses on enabling technologies needed to reduce costs and improve the feasibility of commercial fusion energy.
Each INFUSE project receives between $100,000 and $500,000 and is selected through a competitive peer-review process. Leadership teams at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory manage the program.
Advancing fusion as a viable energy source
Fusion energy promises to replicate the same process that powers the sun, potentially providing a near-limitless, clean, and reliable energy source. Unlike current nuclear power, fusion does not produce long-lived radioactive waste and carries a much lower risk of catastrophic failure.
The Energy Act of 2020 laid the foundation for DOE to pursue stronger public-private partnerships in fusion. Both the FIRE and INFUSE programs reflect this direction, supporting not only scientific innovation but also American manufacturing, energy security, and national defence.
While selections have been announced, funding will only be finalised after negotiations between DOE and the selected applicants. The agency reserves the right to cancel negotiations or rescind selections at any time during the process.
