By Robinson Meyer
Publication Date: 2026-04-10 21:28:00
ARPA-E Makes Record Funding Commitment to Fusion Energy
The Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy, better known as ARPA-E, has propelled research and development efforts across a broad set of potentially transformational energy technologies, from thermal energy storage to advanced geothermal systems and — of course — fusion. According to the Fusion Industry Association, the agency has backed 69 fusion projects across 34 universities, 14 national labs, and 27 companies. Seven fusion startups have emerged directly from ARPA-E programs, including Zap Energy and Thea Energy. But ARPA-E thinks there’s still so much more it can do.
This week, ARPA-E announced an additional $135 million in funding for fusion. This exceeds the agency’s total prior cumulative commitment to the technology — which stands at roughly $134 million and has helped catalyze an additional $1.5 billion in private follow-on investment. This latest capital will target what ARPA-E…