Fusion must be a national priority for the future of US energy security 

At a time when Washington is focused on budget cuts and government downsizing, one investment remains non-negotiable for America’s future: fusion energy. No technology is more economically transformative or strategically vital to securing U.S. leadership in the global energy race. 

Fusion, the process that powers the stars, is a limitless, clean, safe and sustainable energy source. Mastering it on Earth would create a shift from energy scarcity to energy abundance, unlocking breakthroughs in transportation, manufacturing and clean water access while enabling reliable electricity worldwide and innovative environmental solutions once deemed unfeasible.  

This is the promise of fusion, and the U.S. must seize the moment. 

Like previous technology revolutions, such as the rise of semiconductors, the successful commercialization of fusion energy would represent one of the most profound advances in human history. Fusion would create a trillion-dollar industry requiring a highly skilled workforce, new infrastructure and diverse supply chains. Estimates suggest commercial fusion could increase global GDP by $68 trillion. Moreover, fusion will provide long-term energy security, shielding the U.S. from hostile nations weaponizing energy resources. 

Building on decades of federally funded investment in fundamental science and engineering research, the U.S. achieved a historic milestone on Dec. 5, 2022. The first-ever scientific demonstration of fusion ignition occurred at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility. The U.S. has since replicated this success multiple times, and over $7.1 billion in venture capital has been invested in mostly U.S.-based fusion start-up companies exploring varied technical approaches to commercializing fusion energy. 

One of the most promising is Inertial Fusion Energy, an American invention based on the scientific breakthrough, and one where the U.S. still leads. But our leadership is in danger of slipping. 

The Department of Energy has allocated only $20 million out of its $48 billion annual budget for the critical risk reduction necessary to advance laser-based inertial fusion, the only approach with a basis in experimentally demonstrated physics. Meanwhile, nations like China and Russia are investing aggressively in fusion, with potentially crippling scenarios for U.S. economic and national security.  

China is constructing a massive laser facility similar to the National Ignition Facility, aiming to master fusion energy for commercial application and advance its own national security priorities. If the U.S. does not act decisively, and China succeeds in this endeavor before we do, they will control the world’s most advanced power source and thus, the global energy market.  

Energy Secretary Chris Wright has highlighted that fusion is "exciting new technology with huge room to run and has moved very rapidly.” A recent report from the Commission on the Scaling of Fusion Energy states that “The United States should establish an explicit National Fusion Goal of starting construction on the world’s first commercial fusion power plant this decade.” The administration is right to champion and prioritize investment in fusion energy, and their vision must be aligned with the magnitude of this historic opportunity.  

To commercialize fusion within a decade and secure U.S. leadership, we must transition from scientific breakthroughs to a comprehensive commercial deployment strategy. The most effective step would be establishing a National Fusion Technology Center, modeled after the National Semiconductor Technology Center created by the CHIPS Act to reinforce American leadership in microelectronics. 

With a director reporting to the secretary of Energy, such an organization would ensure that the first commercial fusion power plants are developed domestically, protecting U.S. energy security and economic strength. Managed by an independent, nonprofit organization, it would accelerate public-private partnerships, drive technical progress based on milestones and reduce bureaucratic delays. 

We believe that, with a 10-year mission and a $15 billion budget, the National Fusion Technology Center would develop testing and evaluation facilities at national labs and universities that would serve as independent validators of progress, reducing private-sector investment risk and streamlining the commercialization process. Additionally, it would lead supply chain and workforce development initiatives, ensuring the U.S. cultivates the specialized expertise and infrastructure needed for fusion’s success. 

The creation of such an organization would come on the heels of an important decision reducing regulatory burden in the U.S. for the deployment of fusion energy. In May, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans to publish new regulations treating fusion machines as low-risk particle accelerators rather than traditional nuclear reactors, reducing deployment barriers and making commercialization more viable. 

America’s universities play a key role in advancing both the fundamental science and applied research needed for commercial fusion deployment. They serve as impartial evaluators, operate critical test facilities, and help train the specialized workforce of scientists, engineers and technicians required. Through strategic partnerships with the private sector, universities can help develop resilient U.S. supply chains and technical expertise critical to maintaining leadership in fusion. 

Historically, limited energy access has constrained human progress. Fusion will change this. With a unified national effort — bridging government, industry, academia and private investment — the U.S. can lead this energy revolution within the next decade. 

The potential impacts of success are enormous: In our home state of Arizona, energy abundance produced by fusion would offer a solution to the looming issue of water scarcity and serve as a catalyst for the AI industry's growing energy demands. 

As concerned citizens, we must advocate for significant and sustained U.S. federal investment in fusion energy to avoid the risk of ceding leadership in a technology that will define the 21st century. Fusion’s promise of energy abundance isn’t just an opportunity, it is a national and global imperative — and America must act now. 

Suresh Garimella, Ph.D., is president of the University of Arizona and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, Ph.D., is senior vice president for research and innovation at the University of Arizona and former chief research and development officer and deputy director for science and technology at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.