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119-hr-10574119th CongressWALLET

American Leadership in Fusion Act

Sponsored By: Representative Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would accelerate commercialization of fusion energy by creating a new Office of Fusion, funding milestone-driven private pilot plants, and authorizing multibillion-dollar R&D and facility support to speed demonstration and deployment. It would restructure fusion programs, require coordination with ARPA-E and other agencies, and protect private participants' intellectual property while setting domestic-content rules and deadlines for near-term facility operations.

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  • Private fusion companies and utilities: Would open a milestone-based Demonstration Program that lets nonpublic entities compete to build pilot plants that produce at least 50 megawatts net to the grid for over 3 hours. Awards would reimburse up to 50% of milestone costs and explicitly let participants keep most of their intellectual property.
  • National Laboratories and researchers: Would consolidate fusion work into an Office of Fusion and create a graded review to streamline lab partnerships and counterintelligence checks. It would fund programs to give researchers access to DOE and private fusion facilities.
  • Students and workers: Would create an NSF-led Fusion Education and Workforce Hub and authorize $30.0 million per year at NSF and $15.0 million per year at DOE for FY2027–FY2031 to build training, curricula, and apprenticeship pathways.

*Would authorize multiple billions in new appropriations, including a $3.0 billion supplemental and $3.8 billion for FY2027 facilities, and would increase federal spending.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Big fusion test facilities funded

If enacted, the bill would appropriate $3.8 billion in FY2027 to build large fusion research facilities and $300 million in FY2027 for small and mid-sized facilities, all available until spent. The Secretary would report within six months on construction schedules and resource needs and may use public-private or international partnerships. It would require a Material Plasma Exposure Experiment to reach a 1 Tesla field and 10 MW/m2 flux and start full operations before December 31, 2027, subject to appropriations. The bill would also provide $800 million in FY2027 for materials and fuel-cycle R&D and $100 million in FY2027 for supply-chain support, available until spent.

Milestone awards and facility access

If enacted, the bill would fund a milestone-based Demonstration Program and give $3 billion to run it, available until spent. It would add $2 billion for milestone activities in FY2027, available until spent, and require the program to be operational within six months of enactment. Private companies and consortia could compete, and a "fusion pilot plant" must show at least 50 megawatts net to the grid for more than three continuous hours. Milestone payments would cover at most 50% of each milestone's cost, the Department could end partnerships that miss milestones, participants would keep their background and participant-developed intellectual property, and private facilities could get grants, vouchers, loans, or contracts for research access. The Secretary could not force domestic content unless U.S. supplies are available in sufficient quantity, quality, and price, and that domestic-content authority would expire December 31, 2036.

New DOE Office for Fusion

If enacted, the bill would create an Office of Fusion at DOE led by a Senate‑confirmed Assistant Secretary and move existing Fusion Energy Sciences programs into it. The Office would coordinate public-private partnerships, supply chain and workforce efforts, and interagency work, and would aim to start construction of more than one fusion pilot power plant by December 31, 2028. The transfers apply to programs carried out as of November 19, 2025.

Fusion research and workforce funding

If enacted, the bill would authorize multiyear funding for many fusion research and workforce programs but would not itself appropriate all the money. It would authorize $50 million per year (2027–2031) each for alternative fusion concepts and for inertial fusion R&D, $75 million per year for plasma science, $30 million per year for an NSF Fusion Education and Workforce Hub for 2027–2031, and $15 million per year for DOE workforce and education awards for 2027–2031. The NSF Director could run pilot grants to place private industry instructors at colleges for short terms. These authorizations aim to expand training, internships, and research support across universities, community colleges, national labs, and private groups.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Obernolte, Jay [R-CA-23]

    CA • R

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8]

    VA • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Rep. Gallagher, James [R-CA-1]

    CA • R

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 10/5/2026

  • Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 10/6/2026

  • Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 10/13/2026

  • Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 11/2/2026

  • Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3]

    KS • D

    Sponsored 10/22/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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