Another Leg-Up in Fusion Based Power Development Occurs

President Biden's pledge to carry out a pilot-scale fusion demonstration within ten years has taken a significant step forward with the announcement  by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) of $46 million in financing for eight companies pushing designs and research and development for fusion power facilities.

 

The eight recipients of the grant will address scientific and technological problems in the next five to ten years to produce ideas for a fusion pilot plant that will aid in making fusion both technically and economically viable. 

 

The Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which assisted in enabling commercial space launch, served as some of the inspiration for this initiative.

 

These are the recipients:

 

(Cambridge, MA) Commonwealth Fusion Systems

Texas's Focused Energy Inc.

Branchburg, New Jersey-based Princeton Stellarators Inc.

Madison, Wisconsin's Realta Fusion Inc.

Inc. Tokamak (Bruceton Mills, WV)

Madison, Wisconsin-based Type One Energy Group

Zap Energy Inc. (Everett, WA) and 

Xcimer Energy Inc. (Redwood City, CA)

 

Selected through a competitive peer review process under the DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement for the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program, applicants for these awards underwent a rigorous merit review process that included an assessment of their technical, commercialization, business, and financial viabilities.

 

Thr Justice40 Initiative of President Biden seeks to ensure that disadvantaged areas receive 40% of the overall benefits of specific climate and energy investments. This initiative was also examined as part of the examination of the corporations' plans to assist DOE in advancing these efforts.