Andrew Holland

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is finalizing simplified federal rules for fusion energy, treating it as fundamentally safer than nuclear fission and requiring a less stringent permitting process. Fusion generates power by combining light atoms without producing long-lived radioactive waste or risk of meltdowns, positioning the technology for commercialization in the United States within the next decade.

The U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E will allocate $135 million to advance fusion energy research, despite President Trump's proposed budget cuts to other fusion initiatives. The funding contrasts with China's $6.5 billion investment in fusion, highlighting global competition in the field.