Exclusive: Record funding for fusion power lands as Trump eyes cuts
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The Bottom Line
ARPA-E is investing record funding in fusion power, but President Trump's budget proposes cuts to broader initiatives.
How This Affects You
Development of future clean energy sources like fusion power could be impacted by conflicting federal funding decisions.
AI Summary
The Energy Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E) will announce a record $135 million in funding for fusion energy development over the next 18 months. This commitment, the largest single fusion investment in ARPA-E's history, aims to accelerate fusion energy technologies and tackle technical barriers to commercial scale. The funding comes as President Trump's 2027 budget proposal seeks to cut the Energy Department's broader fusion energy sciences initiatives from $805 million to $755 million. This "split-screen approach" highlights tensions in the administration's energy strategy and concerns that federal support falls short of industry needs. The White House's Office of Management and Budget did not immediately comment on the budget contrasts, and the administration's budget still requires Congress' approval.
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