DOE opens Milestone fusion pilot plant program to new companies and teams
Eight companies were chosen to develop fusion pilot plant designs through the Department of Energy’s Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program just over two years ago. It wasn’t until June 2024 that the DOE announced that protracted negotiations over program metrics had been concluded. Now, two years on, the original eight are “making great progress,” according to Colleen Nehl, program manager for public-private partnerships in the DOE’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES). Nehl spoke during a June 4 webinar convened on short notice to discuss the latest fusion Milestone news: a fast-tracked opportunity for additional teams to access remaining Fiscal Year 2025 funding for the Milestone program.