Energy Department awards $159 million for 12 Genesis Mission Phase II projects

WASHINGTON, Oct 8 — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced 12 Phase II Genesis Mission project awards totaling $159 million, which the department said will develop Super Intelligence (SI) capabilities for science, including work on fusion and geothermal energy.

The projects, awarded through DOE's Office of Science, include a digital twin led by Commonwealth Fusion Systems to simulate and optimize operations of a fusion demonstration device. They also include a University of California Irvine platform to map, stimulate and manage deep underground reservoirs for geothermal energy. MIT, Harvard University, Fermilab and the Oak Ridge, Argonne and Lawrence Berkeley national laboratories lead other projects.

"These awards give them the opportunity to take that work to the next level," DOE Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil said. DOE said the selections bring the total number of Phase II projects to 14, and the department is also issuing six new Phase I awards. President Trump launched the Genesis Mission in November 2025, according to DOE.