{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=8746", "Bipartisan, Bicameral Delegation Introduces New Fusion Energy Legislation", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Donald S. Beyer, Jr.", "B001292", "beyer.house.gov", "beyer", "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "House Fusion Energy Caucus co-chairs Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), and Lori Trahan (D-MA) today introduced bipartisan legislation to formally establish the Office of Fusion at the Department of Energy (DOE). Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and John Cornyn (R-TX).\n\nLast month, DOE released their reorganization plans which included an \u201cOffice of Fusion.\u201d This bipartisan bill would codify this office, and urge DOE to move forward with plans to ensure that the United States can continue leading the way on fusion energy and eventually reach commercialization.\n\n\u201cEstablishing an Office of Fusion at the Department of Energy is a critical step toward unlocking one of the most promising clean energy solutions,\u201d said Representative Beyer. \u201cFusion research and development is advancing toward commercialization, and we need a coordinated federal effort dedicated to getting fusion energy on the grid as quickly as possible. An established Office of Fusion would provide the focused leadership and technical expertise necessary, in coordination with the private sector, to accelerate decades of scientific progress, give the United States the momentum it needs to lead the world in fusion energy development and deployment, and finally supply fusion power to the grid.\u201d\n\n\u201cFusion energy represents one of the most promising breakthroughs of our time, with the potential to deliver abundant, reliable, carbon-free power while strengthening America\u2019s economic and national security,\u201d said Representative Obernolte. \u201cBy reestablishing the Office of Fusion at the Department of Energy, this bill accelerates commercialization through public-private partnerships, positions our workforce and supply chains to compete and win against adversaries like China, and ensures the United States remains the global leader in fusion technology. Congress must provide clear direction and a coordinated federal strategy to move fusion from the lab to the grid, and this legislation does exactly that.\u201d\n\n\u201cFusion energy holds enormous promise to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable power while strengthening America\u2019s competitiveness and security,\u201d said Representative Trahan. \u201cFormally establishing an Office of Fusion at the Department of Energy will give this rapidly advancing field the focus and coordination it needs to move from breakthrough science to real-world deployment. With world-class fusion companies and researchers here in Massachusetts and across the country, this bipartisan legislation helps ensure the United States leads the way in bringing fusion from the lab to the grid.\u201d\n\nWith energy costs soaring across the nation, the office would advance fusion energy and accelerate research, development, demonstration, deployment, and market adoption of fusion technologies. In partnership with the private sector, this office would also advance near-term and long-term fusion energy science and technology to meet the growing energy, environmental, and economic demands of the United States.\n\n\u201cA clean energy future powered by fusion has the potential to bring nearly unlimited, dependable, and carbon-free electricity across our country, slashing energy costs for millions of Americans,\u201d said Senator Padilla. \u201cCalifornia\u2019s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is leading the industry with repeatable fusion ignition breakthroughs, and Republicans and Democrats agree that now is the time to support further progress to cement the United States\u2019 energy dominance and establish fusion\u2019s market viability. Establishing the Office of Fusion is a bipartisan priority to support advancements in fusion technology to lower Americans\u2019 electric bills and meet the evolving energy needs of our nation.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs energy demand continues to skyrocket, the United States must implement innovative solutions quickly to maintain reliability and safeguard national security,\u201d said Senator Cornyn. \u201cBy establishing the Office of Fusion within the Department of Energy, this legislation would accelerate the deployment of cutting-edge fusion energy as an abundant and reliable power source to help meet surging demand and bolster grid stability.\u201d\n\nLast year, Trahan, Obernolte, Beyer, Padilla, and Cornyn\u2019s Fusion Energy Act was signed into law as part of the Fire Grants and Safety Act. The law streamlines the creation of clear federal regulations to support the development of commercial fusion facilities by codifying the Nuclear Regulatory Commission\u2019s regulatory authority over commercial fusion energy systems.\n\nIn December 2022, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory became the first lab to achieve fusion ignition \u2014 meaning more energy was released than was needed for the reaction. Ignition has been achieved at least seven times since then. This success proves the viability of fusion energy and the leadership of the United States in the face of heavy investment by China.\n\n\u201cThe restoration of the Office of Fusion, first by the Trump Administration, and now Congress, is the newest powerful signal that fusion is rapidly evolving from its scientific origins to a commercial endeavor that will power the global economy for generations,\u201d said Bob Mumgaard, CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems. \u201cI applaud the sponsors of the bill for the vision and leadership in helping to ensure the Department of Energy\u2019s fusion efforts are organized and, ultimately, funded around driving commercial deployment and scaling of fusion power.\u201d\n\n\u201cA dedicated office of fusion at the Department of Energy was a priority for the FIA from the beginning. We thank the sponsors for their leadership on the introduction of this bipartisan, bicameral legislation and look forward to supporting its passage. This bill will codify the DOE\u2019s plan to create an office of fusion. The prioritization of fusion through a dedicated office will advance the path to commercial deployment,\u201d said Andrew Holland, CEO, Fusion Industry Association.\n\nA one-pager on the bill is available here. Full text of the bill is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=8746"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.3242260795086622, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}