By Lucia Maffei
Google and Massachusetts-Based CFS Advance Commercial Fusion Energy
The promise of fusion energy—clean, limitless power—is gaining urgency as AI technologies demand massive computational energy. Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), based in Devens, Massachusetts, announced Monday a deepened partnership with Google, which plans to purchase 200 megawatts of fusion power from the MIT spinoff. Google also plans to increase its stake in CFS, following its Series B investment in 2021.
Rick Needham, CFS’s chief commercial officer, called the deal “the biggest commercial fusion deal in history”, though actual delivery depends on several steps before the energy can be used. CFS aims to bring fusion to market in the early 2030s, with the first energy coming from the ARC plant under construction in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
Before ARC can supply power, CFS must demonstrate net energy gain with its SPARC device in Massachusetts, built with MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center. SPARC is currently about 60% complete, and net energy gain is expected by 2027. In parallel, CFS is pursuing permits and licenses for the Virginia plant, with construction expected to begin in the next few years. ARC is designed to generate 400 megawatts of net electricity, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.
Fusion energy, unlike nuclear fission, generates power by combining atomic nuclei rather than splitting them. It promises immense energy output, no carbon emissions, and minimal radioactive waste, while avoiding the meltdown risks of fission. Fusion is also technologically challenging, requiring materials that can withstand extreme heat and neutron exposure.
Founded in 2018 by MIT researchers, CFS has grown to over 1,000 employees globally and raised more than $2 billion. Needham highlighted SPARC as a potential historic milestone: “Decades from now, people may look back and say, ‘This was the birth of commercial fusion power.’”