Fusion isn't here — but leading startup is making construction progress
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Commonwealth Fusion CEO Bob Mumgaard often discusses the technical complexities of fusion — but increasingly he's talking about building the sites to make it happen.
Why it matters: Commonwealth is one of the preeminent companies in the decades-long effort to harness the energy that powers the sun.
- It recently partnered with Google DeepMind on using AI to speed fusion's development as a clean energy source.
Driving the news: "Historically, fusion has really been just only about the science of fusion, and that's gone very well," Mumgaard told Axios during a D.C. visit this week. "But now it's ready to be about building facilities."
- An initial site west of Boston — intended to show that fusion is commercially viable — is roughly three-quarters finished.
- He said recent tariffs forced the company to adjust plans on acquiring supply-chain components, but that all has gone smoothly.
Zoom in: The company also is building what could be the world's first grid-scale commercial fusion power plant in Virginia's Chesterfield County. Google already has signed a power purchase deal.
- The company received a county planning commission's approval in August, and about 10% of the work has been completed. Commonwealth hopes it can start operating in the early 2030s.
- "They're working now on the data to generate the building permits for the buildings," he said. "They'll get that here soon, and then the radiological permit, where the Massachusetts and Virginia [crews] are exchanging notes."
- Another fusion company, Helion, also has broken ground on its project in Washington state.
Unlike nuclear power plants, Commonwealth doesn't need a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license to operate its projects — just approval from state regulators.
Follow the money: The Trump administration has been extremely bullish on fusion's potential, and Congress last year increased spending on fusion research to record levels — roughly $1.5 billion.
- But fusion companies still want additional billions to keep pace with China and other countries.
- Mumgaard has proposed something similar to a CHIPS Act for fusion with money attached. The CHIPS Act authorized — but didn't fund — a suite of fusion research programs.
The bottom line: "It feels like the U.S. is sitting here thinking too small ... If you spend that [additional money] now, it means you avoid spending the 10 times that to try to recover later," he said.
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