Google to buy power from Chesterfield's planned nuclear fusion plant

Driving the news: Under the agreement, announced Monday, Google would buy 200 megawatts of power from CFS' planned reactor.

• It also boosts its investment in the Massachusetts-based fusion company.

Catch up quick: CFS announced late last year that, in partnership with Dominion Energy, it would build the world's first commercial nuclear fusion power plant in the James River Industrial Center in Chesterfield.

• The plant, named ARC, won't be operational until the early 2030s, but it's ultimately expected to generate enough electricity to power about 150,000 homes, per a news release.
• In May, CFS started the zoning and permit process for the Chesterfield site, BizSense reported. Groundbreaking isn't expected to happen until the "late 2020s."

Zoom in: Generating electricity from fusion is also still years away, Axios' Alan Neuhauser reports, but because of its promise of near-limitless zero-emissions electricity and AI's extensive power needs, fusion energy is considered the ultimate climate moonshot.

• And of the dozens of fusion companies racing to perfect the technology, Commonwealth Fusion is the biggest and best-funded, per Axios' Katie Fehrenbacher.

Between the lines: Google has long invested in early-stage clean energy technologies to act as a catalyst for the industry, and this week's deal is its first energy procurement deal with a fusion company.

• By signing its first direct purchase agreement for fusion energy, Google shows that it sees fusion as a viable option in the not-too-distant future.