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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2574 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 673
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Bruce E. Tarr
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act establishing the New England Fusion Research Compact.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex 1 of 3
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2574 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 673
By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 673) of Bruce E. Tarr for legislation to
establish the New England Fusion Research Compact. Environment and Natural Resources.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act establishing the New England Fusion Research Compact.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. The Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, in consultation with
2the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, is hereby authorized and directed to develop and
3implement the framework of a regional compact among the states of Massachusetts, New
4Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Connecticut for the purposes of research and development
5regarding energy produced by nuclear fusion. Said compact shall include, but not be limited to,
6the mission of the compact, specific focus areas, personnel and financial requirements, and other
7elements necessary to the operation of the compact.
8 SECTION 2. The compact shall include the development and implementation of a
9comprehensive plan to obtain all necessary regulatory approvals for, finance, and operate, one or
10more nuclear fusion reactors for research, provided that the costs of such actions shall be
11addressed by a formula to facilitate fair contributions from each member state, together with any
12gifts or grants, including but not limited to those provided by the United States Department of 2 of 3
13Energy. Such plan may include recommendations for regulatory or statutory measures to assess
14regulated energy companies for costs associated with the compact.
15 SECTION 3. The secretary shall establish a Fusion Research Council to provide guidance
16in carrying out the provisions of this act. Said council shall consist of the secretary, who shall
17serve as its chair, the executive director of the clean energy center, the secretary of economic
18development or a designee, the commissioner of the department of environmental protection or a
19designee, and 7 members appointed by the governor, whom shall include individuals
20representing 3 institutions of higher learning in the commonwealth, 1 of which shall be the
21University of Massachusetts and 1 of which shall be the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
221 member representing employers in the commonwealth, 1 member representing organized
23labor in the commonwealth, 1 member representing an organization engaged in independent
24nuclear energy research in the commonwealth, and 1 member representing the taxpayers of the
25commonwealth. The council shall convene as deemed necessary by its chair, but not less than
26quarterly.
27 SECTION 4. The secretary, in accordance with the plan developed pursuant to this act,
28and subject to the approval of the governor and the great and general court, shall solicit member
29states for participation in the compact, provided that such states shall designate representatives
30according to the terms of the compact. Representatives shall serve for a term, and under such
31conditions, as the state being represented shall establish.
32 SECTION 5. The secretary shall submit the plan developed pursuant to section 1 in the
33form of legislation filed with the clerk of the Senate not later than 12 months following the
34passage of this act, the passage of which shall constitute the approval prescribed in section 4. 3 of 3
35 SECTION 6. The secretary shall file reports detailing the progress made in the
36development of the compact, any costs estimates for its implementation, and any
37recommendations for legislative or regulatory actions to advance the mission of the compact, not
38less than every three months, with the clerks of the House and Senate, the Joint Committee on
39Telecommunications and Energy, and the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means.