NJ Senator Cheers Big Breakthrough In Nuclear Fusion: ‘The Race Is On’

NEW JERSEY — A New Jersey senator is pushing for more investment into the “Holy Grail” of energy sources after a major breakthrough in nuclear fusion research was announced this week.

Sen. Joe Pennacchio, a Republican who represents the state’s 26th Legislative district, was one of many people cheering Tuesday’s landmark announcement from the United States Department of Energy – a development that he said may be “one of the most significant scientific achievements of this century.”

What’s the big deal? According to the Department of Energy (DOE), researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California managed to achieve “scientific energy breakeven,” meaning that it produced more energy from fusion than the laser energy used to drive it – a big step towards creating an energy source that could potentially replace fossil fuels.

The “major scientific breakthrough” is decades in the making, and could pave the way for advancements in national defense and the future of clean power,” the DOE said.

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While much more research is needed before the technology can be used to power homes or businesses, the future looks bright for fusion energy, Pennacchio said.

“This is proof of concept – it works,” the senator enthused. “It’s no longer just a hypothesis on a white board.”

“For 60 years, fusion’s promise was an exciting theory, the Holy Grail that could one day replace carbon-based energy production,” Pennacchio continued. “That potential has taken a huge step toward reality.”

According to Pennacchio, it’s a perfect time for New Jersey to seize the opportunity and pour more funding into fusion research. Doing so could position the state at the front of the pack when it comes to the future of energy production, he argued.

Pennacchio said there are many steps New Jersey can take – right now – to invest in the field of fusion energy. The senator offered several pieces of legislation he has authored in the recent past as examples:

• S-2992: Would establish the New Jersey Fusion Technology Industry Commission to focus on the development of the promising clean energy in the state. The bill was approved by the Senate Economic Growth Committee in November.
• S-217: Includes fusion within the definition of Class I renewable energy as defined in the “Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act.” Other Class I renewable energies include energy produced from solar technologies, wind energy, etc. Enacted in 1999, the Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act fundamentally changed the way residential and commercial consumers of electricity pay for their services. It separates the cost of generating and supplying power from the cost of delivering it. Under this bill, consumers would be able to purchase fusion energy when it becomes available.
• S-218: To attract top-level scientists to the field, Pennacchio’s bill requires New Jersey’s Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) to administer a scholarship program for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers studying or conducting research in fusion energy and plasma physics. The bill cleared the Senate Higher Education Committee in June of this year.
• S-219: Provides that fusion energy and fusion technology companies are eligible to receive benefits under certain economic incentive programs. Under the bill, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) is required to adopt rules and regulations for the administration of economic incentive programs to provide that any reference or stipulation under a program related to the development or production of renewable energy, the development of emerging technologies, or to the expansion of targeted industries in this State connected to the award of a benefit or incentive to a company is deemed to include the development or production of fusion energy or fusion technology in this State. The Senate passed the bill with a vote of 39-0 on June 29.
• S-220: Requires the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), in consultation with the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology, to establish a Fusion Technology Industry Development Program to promote the fusion technology industry in the State and to attract fusion technology businesses to the State. Requires the EDA to provide technical and financial assistance to fusion technology businesses considering locating in New Jersey and to invest moneys from business assistance programs administered by the EDA, as may be available.

Pennacchio has been pushing for more investment in the field since 2019, when he hosted a “Fusion Energy Symposium” at the State House Annex in Trenton. The event drew experts from national laboratories, businesses and researchers in the field, who shared their research and ideas on the future of fusion energy. Participants included scientists from the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, which Pennacchio called the “epicenter” of fusion energy research in New Jersey.

• See related article: NJ Lawmaker Wants More Funding For Fusion Energy Research (Video)

“Investment in private sector research has never been higher and interest will surely increase dramatically after [Tuesday’s] announcement,” Pennacchio said. “The implications are massive, and the race is on.”

“New Jersey cannot wait to capitalize on this opportunity,” he urged.

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