Keynote: Opportunities and Challenges in Developing a Viable Workforce in the Fusion Energy Sector to Support US Manufacturing

The fusion energy sector is in a pivotal moment. Commercial fusion energy would help unlock an abundant new source of reliable energy to help meet the growing energy needs of the grid and data centers across the United States. The high energy density of fusion fuels - The fusion energy released from just 1 gram of fuel equals the energy from about 2,400 gallons of oil - makes it an important priority for American energy dominance. There is a growing consensus that commercial fusion power could soon become a reality. But how will we get there?

DOE’s Office of Science Fusion Energy Sciences program aims to usher a burgeoning fusion private sector industry in the U.S. toward maturity on the most rapid timeline. By leveraging investments from both the public and private sectors with prudent and strategic processes, DOE is marshaling the forces of the public and private sector to close key gaps on the critical path toward fusion energy . What’s at stake is enormous. If the sector meets its ambitious timeline, fusion could transform the world’s energy system and truly unlock U.S. innovation and energy dominance.