Inside the race for fusion energy: Commonwealth Fusion CEO on powering the future of AI

Fusion Energy Overview - Fusion energy is the power source of the stars and could power next-generation technologies [2][3] - The industry has seen significant investment, with over $10 billion of private capital invested in over 50 fusion companies [6] - Prototype plants are being built, including Commonwealth Fusion Systems' (CFS) plant in Massachusetts [6] Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) - CFS is one of the largest and most capitalized fusion organizations globally, second only to the Chinese government program [7] - CFS is building a prototype plant with "steel in the ground" and has plans for a commercial plant [7] - CFS announced plans in December to build the first commercial fusion power plant in Virginia [9] Virginia Power Plant - The Virginia power plant will be 400 megawatts, the size of a large coal or natural gas plant [10] - The power from the Virginia plant has already been bought by Google to power data centers [10] - The Virginia plant is expected to be online in the early 2030s [12] Technology and Safety - A scientific breakthrough four years ago allowed for a significant reduction in the size of fusion power plants, approximately 50 times smaller [16][17] - Fusion power plants are designed to automatically shut off if there is any problem, ensuring safety [24] - Fusion power plants do not produce long-lived nuclear waste and are decoupled from traditional nuclear power concerns [25] Commercialization - CFS is moving from deep science into commercialization, with the Virginia plant shaping up [27] - The company is starting to see what the first commercial product will look like and how it will be delivered [27] - CFS's prototype plant in Massachusetts is about 70% complete and is expected to be turned on in 2026, with power generation starting in 2027 [18][19]