Fusion’s Reach Across America

Research in fusion has been going on around the country for decades, and significant progress has been made. Not only will fusion provide future rewards, but fusion research contributes to local economies and communities today in virtually every U.S. state.

Here in the United States, the three major experiments for research into magnetically-confined fusion (which uses powerful magnets to confine the superheated plasma) are the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT), and the DIII-D Research Program at General Atomics’ Fusion Energy Research Lab in San Diego.

These experiments are supported by major scientific research institutions like Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and by a range of businesses, contractors, and researchers in every corner of the country.

A few key facts illustrate the breadth of the fusion industry:

47 out of 50 states host research facilities, contractors, or businesses that form a part of America’s fusion research program

There are over 775 research institutions and businesses supporting fusion research

There are at least 1,200 direct research positions in the fusion industry, which is supported by countless indirect contractors and vendors

Key States: There are at least 168 affiliated institutions and businesses in California, 108 in Tennessee and 95 in Massachusetts

Below is a map showing where America’s fusion research is being done and where businesses that support the program are located.