Nuclear fusion, as an energy source, is in its infancy.
Still, one Ohio lawmaker said his colleagues should get ahead of the curve by establishing regulations statewide, if it does ever come.
Right now, nuclear energy is largely made through nuclear fission, where uranium atoms are bombarded by neutrons and broken into smaller atoms, releasing energy. Through nuclear fusion—which after decades is still not yet commercially viable—smaller atoms are actually combined.
Rep. Brian Lorenz (R-Powell) will introduce legislation Tuesday to regulate fusion energy. The bill doesn’t subsidize or mandate fusion, Lorenz said, and it doesn’t lower safety standards.
The bill does task the Ohio Department of Development with convening a fusion energy working group, within a year. According to draft legislation, the working group would include health and environmental officials, researchers, and the Ohio National Guard, among others.
“So innovators know the rules, regulators know their role, and Ohio is ready when this technology is ready,” Lorenz said Thursday. “This matters because Ohio is already facing real energy challenges.”
The Nuclear Reactor Laboratory at the Ohio State University got $1 million in federal grant money in October to study fusion energy commercially, according to its College of Engineering website.
Helion Energy, which is backed by Microsoft, is building a fusion power plant in Washington. The state established regulatory framework in 2024, and Lorenz said Ohio should do so as well.
“And do it the Ohio way,” Lorenz said.
As of Friday, his bill had not yet been officially introduced.
