The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released its Fusion Science and Technology (FS&T) Roadmap, outlining a national plan to speed up the development and commercialization of fusion energy. The strategy, known as Build–Innovate–Grow, aims to bring commercial fusion power to the U.S. grid by the mid-2030s.
The initiative supports President Trump’s Executive Order on Unleashing American Energy, which seeks to increase domestic energy production and strengthen U.S. energy security. According to the DOE, accelerating fusion power development will help reinforce the national grid, rebuild supply chains, and promote American-made energy.
“The Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap brings unprecedented coordination across America’s fusion enterprise,” said Energy Department Under Secretary for Science Dr. Darío Gil. “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. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the Department is streamlining the full strength of the U.S. scientific and industrial base to deliver fusion energy faster than ever before.”
The roadmap was presented during a series of U.S. Fusion Energy Enterprise Events in Washington, D.C., where government, industry, and academic leaders gathered to discuss the future of fusion energy in the country.
Developed with input from over 600 scientists, engineers, and industry representatives, the roadmap highlights key research and technology gaps that need to be addressed for a Fusion Pilot Plant (FPP) and to maintain U.S. competitiveness in the global fusion sector.
The strategy focuses on three main objectives: building critical infrastructure to address materials and technology challenges; promoting innovation through research, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence; and expanding the U.S. fusion ecosystem via public-private partnerships, regional manufacturing hubs, and workforce training.
“Fusion is real, near, and ready for coordinated action,” said Jean Paul Allain, Associate Director of DOE’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences. “This roadmap provides the strategic foundation for building the scientific, technical, and industrial base needed to ensure American leadership in commercial fusion on an ambitious timeline.”
Private investment in fusion technology has surpassed $9 billion, supporting demonstrations of burning plasma and prototype reactors. The DOE’s coordinated approach aims to address remaining technical challenges in areas such as materials science, plasma systems, fuel cycles, and plant engineering. The roadmap details plans for investment in six core areas: structural materials, plasma-facing components, confinement systems, fuel cycle, blankets, and plant engineering and integration.
The DOE emphasizes that achieving these goals will depend on future public-private partnerships and Congressional funding decisions. The roadmap does not commit to specific funding levels at this time.
The full Fusion Science & Technology Roadmap is available at https://www.energy.gov/fusion-energy.
