About time! Americans need to step up their game in physics! Let's bring on that fusion energy.

Lynda

By Raphael Rosen
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Aug. 29, 2025

At the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory's new Fusion Research and Technology Hub test cell, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright learns about the range of PPPL’s national and global collaborations.
Photo by Michael Livingston / PPPL Office of Communications

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright visited the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) on Aug. 20 at a pivotal time for the race toward reliable fusion energy, which decisions made in Washington over the next few years will impact.

Founded over 70 years ago, PPPL leads America’s research into plasma, the electrically charged fourth state of matter, and uses artificial intelligence (AI) and human expertise to advance a number of the nation’s scientific priorities, including bringing commercial fusion energy to the electrical grid, innovating techniques for computer chip fabrication and developing quantum computing and sensing technologies.

Wright visited as a part of his ongoing mission to visit all 17 of the DOE’s national laboratories. He met with leadership from PPPL, Princeton University, DOE and private industry partners. PPPL Director Steven Cowley presented an overview of PPPL’s history, its fusion strategy and the Lab’s efforts to diversify its research portfolio to address national priorities.

During his visit, Wright learned how PPPL is collaborating with venture capital firm SOSV HAX and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to create the NJ HAX Plasma Forge.

He also engaged with leaders from private fusion companies that rely on PPPL for scientific support. They included David Gates from Thea Energy, a company spun out of PPPL research; Cary Forest and Derek Sutherland from Realta Fusion; and Michael Ginsberg, Erik Mårtensson and Laura Zhang from Tokamak Energy.
Solving a grand scientific challenge

Wright also visited PPPL’s National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U), a fusion device known as a spherical tokamak that allows scientists to determine the best conditions for producing fusion energy, a potentially limitless energy source.

Shaped like an apple with its core removed, NSTX-U is the largest spherical tokamak in the U.S. and is designed to be the most powerful spherical tokamak in the world. Scientists are interested in studying the spherical tokamak concept because these types of compact machines could produce energy more efficiently than conventional, doughnut-shaped tokamaks.

“Forty-three years ago, I went to college to study fusion energy,” Wright said. “It’s an immensely exciting field that I’m still passionate about.”

“NSTX-U is critically important to America’s fusion program,” Cowley said. “It will show the nation and the world how a pilot spherical tokamak fusion plant could lead to commercial fusion.”

“In addition to confining energy more efficiently than typical tokamaks do, compact reactors like NSTX-U could have less massive magnets and be cheaper to build, possibly representing the best design for a commercial fusion power plant,” said Jonathan Menard, deputy director for research.

Wright also met members of PPPL’s apprenticeship program during the stop, learning about the first-in-the-nation apprenticeship in fusion energy and engineering. Andrew Carpe, apprentice program technical administrator, provided an overview of the program, while James Henderson Jr. and Abigail Fellnor, both apprentices, shared their enthusiasm for working at PPPL.

“It is an honor, a privilege and a blessing to work at PPPL,” said Henderson. “I am excited to go to work every day.”

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