Envisioning the future of fusion energy and plasma research The Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee lays out a broad new vision and goal based on decades of advances in fusion research DOE/US Department of Energy Fusion energy powers the Sun. If harnessed correctly, the same process could provide clean power to people. Credit: Artwork by Jennifer Hamson LLE/University of Rochester, concept by Dr. Jeffrey Levesque, Columbia University, originally used in A Community Plan for Fusion Energy and Discovery Plasma Sciences Plasma is the amazing fourth state of matter. While not as well-known as solids, liquids, or gases, plasma is far more common in our universe. It is a gas made up of atoms that have had electrons stripped off. It makes up the insides of stars, causes the Northern Lights, and powers the solar winds that bounce off the Earth's magnetic field. It's also fundamental to harnessing nuclear fusion reactions to produce energy. Research funded by the Department of Energy Office of Science has made tremendous strides in understanding plasma and fusion. A new report from the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) lays out the path forward for fusion technology and plasma research.