Fusion Energy Week 2025

Fusion Energy Week at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will be held May 5-10, 2025, featuring lectures, meet-a-scientist events, and other activities both online and in Knoxville and Oak Ridge to celebrate the possibilities of fusion energy and connect the community with the important fusion research happening at ORNL.

Fusion Energy Week honors the May 10th birthday of Dr. Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, who discovered that our sun and stars were composed of hydrogen and helium, which led to our understanding of fusion. Find the schedule of local events below and visit the U.S. Fusion Energy website to learn more about Fusion Energy Week activities around the world. 

Schedule of Events for Fusion Week 2025

Monday-Friday, May 5-9

• Igniting Innovation: A History of ORNL Fusion, 1950s to Today – A timeline display of ORNL's fusion history will be set up on Main Street at ORNL, Bldg. 5700, throughout the week.

Monday, May 5

• 11 a.m. – Lighting the Way: How ORNL is making fusion energy a reality
  • Fusion Energy Division Director Troy Carter will deliver a talk on the basics of fusion science, his personal journey in the fusion community, and how ORNL is leading the vanguard of fusion energy research. This talk will be held in Weinberg Auditorium, Bldg. 4500N, and will be viewable online via Zoom (Watch the talk here).

Tuesday, May 6

• Tuesday Tours: Pellet Fuel Laboratory (ORNL employees only)
  • Learn more about ORNL's innovative work in creating the pellet injection systems that are responsible for fueling and mitigating plasma disruptions in fusion devices like ITER. See ORNL Today for more details.

Wednesday, May 7

• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Meet a Fusion Scientist on Main Street (ORNL only)
  • Fusion scientists and engineers will be set up on Main Street, Bldg. 5700, to answer your burning questions about fusion! There will also be interactive demos, models, and more to illustrate different concepts of fusion energy and the breadth of fusion research at ORNL.
• 6 p.m. – Movie Night at AMSE (Open to the public)
  • Join ORNL and Type One Energy at the American Museum of Science and Energy for a screening of a fusion-related documentary, followed by a community Q&A session with fusion researchers. This event is free and open to all. AMSE is located at 115 E. Main St., Oak Ridge, TN.

Thursday, May 8

• 2 p.m. – Fifty Years in Fusion
  • ORNL researcher Don Spong, who recently celebrated his 50th year of service at ORNL, will provide a retrospective look at the history of fusion research at the lab and reflect on the progress that he has witnessed in the field over the course of his career. This talk will be held in-person in Wigner Auditorium, Bldg. 4500N, and will be viewable online via Zoom (Watch the talk here)
• 6 p.m. – See Yourself in Fusion: Fusion Careers in East Tennessee panel discussion (Open to the public)
  • This panel discussion will focus on the wide range of opportunities available in fusion-related careers. Speakers from ORNL, Type One Energy, TVA, and the University of Tennessee will discuss how they found their way into the fusion field and answer any questions you may have about beginning a career in fusion. This event will be held on the UTK campus in the Zeanah Engineering Complex, Rm. 123.

Friday, May 9

• 5:30 p.m. – Fusion Happy Hour at Orange Hat Brewing
  • Join us for an informal social meetup at Orange Hat Brewing, 10246 Hardin Valley Rd., in Knoxville. Mingle with fellow fusioneers and enjoy engaging conversations over a local brew. 

Saturday, May 10

• 9 a.m.-1 p.m. – "Hike Towards Fusion" at UT Arboretum (Open to the public)
  • Break out your hiking shoes and soak up some rays from the big fusion reactor in the sky on a self-paced hike at the UT Arboretum. This is a Rally Rewards-eligible event for ORNL employees. Find the fusion information table set up along the trail and sign in to earn your points. UT Arboretum is located at 901 S. Illinois Ave., Oak Ridge, TN.

Saturday, May 17

• 10 a.m.-3 p.m. – Children's Festival of Reading in World's Fair Park (Open to the public)
  • ORNL fusion staff will also be set up at the Children's Festival of Reading, a free literacy festival produced by the Knox County Public Library. There will be custom fusion-themed comic books and interactive demos for kids of all ages. The festival will be in World's Fair Park in Knoxville, rain or shine.

For questions and more information, please contact Louise Ferris, ferrisal@ornl.gov, or Sean Simoneau, simoneausm@ornl.gov.