Nuclear Fusion Takes Off Around America

The Big Bet: Nuclear fusion — replicating how the Sun generates light and heat by fusing atomic nuclei — is considered the “Holy Grail” of the energy sector, according to The Verge. It promises virtually limitless energy without pollution or waste. Whoever manages to commercialize it could revolutionize nearly every aspect of modern life.

Behind The Power: The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) has compiled a map of all active nuclear-fusion projects worldwide.

• Fifty-three companies have received a total of $8.9 billion in private funding and $795 million in government subsidies, per the Fusion Industry Association. That’s almost 5x more funding than in 2021.
• For example, Microsoft has struck a deal with Helion Energy to purchase energy from a generator estimated to be ready in 2028.
• Additionally, Google purchased 200 megawatts of “future carbon-free power” (aka fusion energy) from Commonwealth Fusion Systems in Massachusetts. The hope is that generators will be online sometime in the 2030s.

The Future: Despite the hype, we’re still decades away from realizing our nuclear fusion dreams. Still, it’s understandable to see why there’s hope. Just three years ago, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California achieved the field’s biggest breakthrough — a net energy gain from a reaction known as “fusion ignition.” A few months later, they repeated the feat, generating even more energy.

These were small but monumental steps for the entire industry — and likely what’s powering today’s surge in investment.

Prediction: It’s no surprise that the race for nuclear fusion is coinciding with the rise of AI — the latter may need the former to become economically viable on a grand scale.