Cantwell, Curtis Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Supercharge U.S. Fusion Manufacturing

Cantwell, Curtis Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Supercharge U.S. Fusion Manufacturing

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) to introduce the Fusion Advanced Manufacturing Parity Act.

The innovative bipartisan legislation would strengthen American competitiveness in fusion energy and secure domestic supply chains for high-tech fusion components. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by Reps. Carol Miller (R-WV), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), and Don Beyer (D-VA).

"The State of Washington is the world's leading hub for fusion energy, which one day soon could 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 also will be manufactured and create jobs in the Pacific Northwest."

"Fusion energy represents the kind of bold, American innovation that built the West and can power our future," said Sen. Curtis. "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."

The Fusion Advanced Manufacturing Parity Act would expand IRC Section 45X credit eligibility to include fusion components. Developed with feedback from industry partners, the bill defines components in the supply chain needed to bring the industry to scale. Examples include superconducting magnets, capacitors, fusion chambers, blanket systems, high-energy lasers, and essential materials.

Under the bill, each component would be eligible for a 25% tax credit through 2031, which would then be phased down through 2034.

What is the Section 45X Credit?

• The Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit (known as 45X) was established by the Inflation Reduction Act.
• It was designed to spur domestic production of clean energy components by providing robust, per-unit tax incentives for U.S.-based manufacturers.
• The credit covered components such as solar panels, wind turbines, battery modules, inverters, and critical minerals -- but not fusion components.
• The 45X credit value is based on a specific rate for each eligible product, which is multiplied by the volume of production sold within the tax year.
• President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" terminated 45X for wind and solar, but the credit still remains for other components through 2030.