China Gaining on US in Nuclear Fusion
March 19, 2025
After decades of leadership, the United States is losing ground to China in turning nuclear fusion into commercial reality, CNBC reports. As one marker, China’s government spends roughly two times more annually on fusion than the US government does. In charting a “public path” to fusion, Michael Ford argues in Issues for increased US funding to answer some fundamental scientific questions in fusion research and to meet practical needs of fusion commercialization. He also calls for greater coordination “between the public and private sectors to further develop the technology, while assuring its proper regulation, public acceptance, and certainly its affordability.”