Fusion Is Ready. Is Trump's Washington?
A well-funded startup says it can deliver clean, almost limitless energy by the early 2030s — but first it has to win over the public, investors, and the U.S. government.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems is racing to build a fusion reactor that could change how the world makes energy. The company says it could switch on its reactor next year and prove that fusion can produce more power than it uses. It would be the first private company, not a government lab, to reach that milestone. Backed by $3 billion from investors like Bill Gates and Google, Commonwealth aims to power real homes and businesses with clean fusion energy by the early 2030s.
Fusion works by joining atoms together, releasing a huge burst of energy in the process. It is different from the nuclear fission used in today's power plants, which splits atoms apart. Fusion produces no carbon emissions and very little dangerous waste. Scientists have dreamed about it for decades, but making it work reliably has been very hard.
Inside Commonwealth's factory, progress is easy to see. Building the pancake-shaped layers of each magnet used to take months, but workers can now finish the job in a single shift. The cafeteria is full of PhDs, engineers, and experts from many different fields. Benjamin Byboth, a former Navy nuclear submarine engineer, says the work is 'difficult enough to be humbling for everybody.'
The company also has to win people's trust, not just solve science problems. Some people are scared of anything called 'nuclear' because of past disasters like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. But officials say fusion is much safer than old-style nuclear fission. They compare its radiation risk to that of a hospital where cancer patients receive treatment.
Perhaps the biggest challenge is convincing leaders in Washington to invest even more taxpayer money in fusion. The Trump administration has been cutting budgets for programs that are not related to defense. At the same time, fusion has to compete with other growing energy sources, like advanced fission reactors and cheaper solar panels and batteries. If the U.S. does not act soon, company leaders warn, China could beat America to the finish line.
Fusion facilities involve only the radiation risk of, say, a modern hospital where cancer patients get radiation treatment.
Comprehension quiz preview
1. Where did Commonwealth Fusion Systems get its start?
2. About how much money has Commonwealth Fusion Systems raised from investors?
3. What does Benjamin Byboth say building the layered parts of each magnet used to take?