Fusion energy can potentially allow us to harness the same processes stars use to produce energy right here on Earth. Fusion occurs when two nuclei combine to form a new nucleus, a process that releases a huge amount of energy. Controlling this process offers a possible long-term energy source that uses abundant resources for its fuel and does not produce long-lived radioactive waste.
The Department of Energy has been a leader in fusion energy research since the 1950s and supports groundbreaking advances today.
The DOE Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program’s mission is to drive the scientific and technological foundation for a fusion energy source and support the development of a competitive U.S. fusion energy industry. To address these challenges, FES supports fundamental research in four major science areas.
In service of these drivers, FES supports fusion facilities in both the public and private sectors. Building on a foundation of research in academia, industry, and national laboratories, FES supports nationally coordinated public-private partnership programs to cultivate a growing fusion power industry.
The Fusion Energy Sciences program is guided by the Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap. This strategy describes how the fusion community can "Build," "Innovate," and "Grow" to create a leading, robust American fusion energy industry. It also ensures that FES core research aligns with closing gaps along the critical path to fusion energy.
Using some of the most advanced experimental capabilities, the most powerful supercomputers, and the fastest networks in the world today, DOE-supported scientists are undertaking research and development towards fundamental progress to establish fusion energy’s viability.
