The US Department of Energy has released a finalised national roadmap to accelerate the development and commercialisation of fusion energy on the most rapid, responsible timeline in history, with the goal of scaling up the private fusion sector by the mid-2030s.

Released on 9 June, the Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap builds on an earlier roadmap released by the DOE in October 2025. That roadmap warned that there remain critical science, materials and technology gaps that must be closed for fusion to succeed.

The new roadmap echoes those findings. It says the US private sector has attracted more than $10bn (€8.6bn) in cumulative private investment to commercialise fusion technology and deliver fusion energy to the grid. But it adds: “There remain critical science, materials, and technology gaps, such as the breeding and handling of fusion fuels, developing materials that can withstand fusion conditions, and increasing plasma performance, all of which must be closed. These critical gaps require innovation and bridging of the public and private sectors.”