U.S. Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) on Oct. 30 sponsored a bipartisan bill that aims to empower U.S. competitiveness by extending the federal Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit (Section 45X) to cover critical components used in fusion energy systems.
“Fusion energy represents the kind of bold, American innovation that built the West and can power our future,” Sen. Curtis said. “This bill ensures we’re not just competing in the fusion race, we’re winning it by manufacturing these critical components here at home, creating good-paying jobs, and securing our energy independence for the next century.”
By incentivizing the domestic manufacturing of high-tech fusion parts, the bill would accelerate the commercialization of fusion energy, create high-wage manufacturing jobs, bolster supply-chain resilience, and strengthen the nation’s energy and security posture, according to Sen. Curtis, who along with lead original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced the Fusion Advanced Manufacturing Parity Act, S. 3088.
Specifically, S. 3088 would expand the 45X advanced manufacturing production credit to include a 25-percent production credit for fusion components. This would align federal tax incentives with the realities of next-generation energy innovation and help ensure that the United States leads the way in commercializing fusion energy, the lawmakers said.
“The State of Washington is the world’s leading hub for fusion energy, which could one day soon provide vast amounts of the type of power we need to keep electricity prices down and increase America’s economic competitiveness,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Providing tax incentives for fusion components will help ensure that the fusion supply chain will also be manufactured and create jobs in the Pacific Northwest.”
Among other key provisions of S. 3088, the bill would broadly define eligible components to cover the full spectrum of technologies that the fusion industry needs to scale, and it would expand the critical minerals list to include fusion-relevant materials like deuterium, helium-3, tritium, lithium compounds, tungsten, vanadium, and more, according to a bill summary provided by the senators.
S. 3088 is companion legislation to the same-named H.R. 5441, introduced on Sept. 15 by U.S. Reps. Carol Miller (R-WV) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA).