Identify and accelerate novel technologies for clean energy. The Budget also includes $1 billion for fusion, the largest ever investment in the promise of a clean energy power source.

-- The U.S. Government Budget for Fiscal Year 2024

Budget of the U.S. Government for Fiscal Year 2024

On March 9, local time, the White House released the Budget of The U.S. Government for Fiscal Year 2024. To promote the development of emerging technologies, the Budget includes 25 billion US dollars, an increase of 35.14% (18.5 billion US dollars in 2023). It is said that the budget will be used to support national laboratories and universities in carrying out cutting-edge research and building and operating world-class scientific infrastructure and devices. The Budget plans to provide 1 billion dollars, the largest investment in the field of nuclear fusion energy in the United States, to accelerate the realization of fusion energy.  

This isn’t the first time the U.S. government has offered support for fusion energy.

In August 2022, Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which became national legislation one month later. It specifically provided $280 million in funding for the energy sector to carry out activities for fusion energy science construction and major equipment projects. This is the first time that financial support for fusion has been explicitly legislated, marking a major step forward for the emerging technology.

Back in 2019, the US Congress passed the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, directing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to establish a fusion regulatory framework by December 31, 2027, to support the development and commercialization of advanced nuclear reactors.

Licensing and Regulating Fusion Energy Systems

In September 2022, the NRC’s white paper, Licensing and Regulating Fusion Energy Systems, presented the committee with several approaches to fusion regulation. It also noted the importance of establishing a clear-cut "fusion energy licensing and regulatory framework" for the flourishing development of the industry in the coming years.

The release of the white paper is an early step toward establishing a more mature and legislated fusion energy regulatory framework, which is to be launched within the next five years.

In addition, many countries have already begun or will soon begin to set out fusion policies, including the United Kingdom, Japan and China.

The UK

On October 1, 2021, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) explained how the UK government would use its scientific, commercial and international leadership to make fusion energy a reality in its document Towards Fusion Energy: The UK Government’s Fusion Strategy. The UK has also become the first country in the world to pass legislation to ensure the safe and effective roll-out of fusion energy.

Towards Fusion Energy - The UK government’s fusion strategy

The strategy proposed to move from a fusion science superpower to a fusion industry superpower. The country’s fusion strategy involves two overarching goals: (1) demonstrating the commercial viability of fusion by building a prototype fusion power plant in the UK that puts energy on the grid; (2) building a world-leading fusion industry that can export fusion technology around the world in subsequent decades.

At the same time, a green paper on fusion regulation, Towards Fusion Energy: Proposals for a Regulatory Framework, was published, setting out a regulatory approach to fusion energy systems and inviting public comment. On June 20, 2022, the UK government, when responding to public views elicited for the green paper of fusion regulation, confirmed that: the Environment Agency and the Health Safety Executive will retain responsibility for fusion regulation; the said authorities will also be responsible for all planned fusion prototype energy facilities in the UK; and the government will legislate to make clear in law the regulatory treatment of fusion energy.

Japan

Since joining ITER, Japan has accumulated nuclear fusion technology. The Japanese government aims to put fusion reactorsTowards Fusion Energy - The UK government’s fusion strategy

 into practical use around the middle of this century.

To achieve that goal, the government’s new strategy will include support measures for small and medium-sized enterprises and venture capital firms, as well as ways to attract private sector investment. On November 4, 2022, the Cabinet Office held a meeting on fusion energy development strategy, which confirmed that the fusion strategy document will be completed by April this year.

China

At present, China has not yet established a complete policy system in the fusion industry.

Dai Lizhong, a deputy to the National People’s Congress, proposed during the “Two Sessions” this year that "we should keep a keen eye on the new trends and new changes in controlled fusion research and development, introduce relevant industrial policies, and promote the research and development of HTS, strong-field, small-scale controlled fusion devices in a market-oriented and industrialized way, to ensure China’s long-term international competitiveness in this critical field." CPPCC member Duan Xuru also said that we should give full play to the role of China’s existing nuclear science and technology industrial system, strengthen top-level design and overall planning, guide and mobilize relevant advantageous units of nuclear engineering to actively participate in the development of fusion energy with purpose and principle, promote the complementary advantages of relevant units in an organized manner with the division of labor, and work together to make progress in the core key technologies of fusion reactors. In doing so, we can gradually improve China’s industrial system of fusion research and development, and promote the high-quality development of fusion energy.

This has laid the foundation for establishing a policy system and regulatory framework in the field of fusion in China.

References:

[1] White House Budget Request Includes Funding for Leadership-Class Computing Facility. Website: hpcwire.com

[2] Budget of the U.S. Government—FISCAL YEAR 2024.