Alphabet’s Google announced on Monday that it has inked a groundbreaking deal to purchase electricity from a fusion-powered project in Virginia — marking a bold step toward harnessing the same force that fuels the sun and stars, though fusion remains far from commercial reality on Earth.
In what it described as the first direct corporate power purchase agreement for fusion technology, Google signed with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), a firm that emerged from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2018.
Under the agreement, Google will buy 200 megawatts of electricity from CFS’ ARC project, which is designed for a total capacity of 400 MW. The facility is being developed in Virginia, a region known as the world’s largest hub of energy-hungry data centres. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed.
For decades, scientists at national labs and private companies have chased the dream of controlled fusion — using either lasers or, in CFS’ case, massive magnets — to force light atoms together, unleashing enormous energy. In a notable milestone in 2022, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California briefly achieved net energy gain in a laser-driven fusion experiment.
Yet, reaching the so-called “engineering break-even” point — where a fusion plant generates more energy than the total power needed to initiate and sustain the reaction — remains a stubbornly elusive goal. And for fusion to truly power the grid, reactions must occur continuously, not just in fleeting bursts.
“Yes, there are some serious physics and engineering challenges that we still have to work through to make it commercially viable and scalable,” said Michael Terrell, Google’s head of advanced energy, during a media call. “But that’s something that we want to be investing in now to realize that future.”
As artificial intelligence technologies and data centres fuel soaring global energy demands, enthusiasm for fusion has surged. Unlike nuclear fission, which splits atoms and produces significant radioactive waste, fusion creates minimal waste, and if successfully commercialised, could become a potent tool in the fight against climate change.
CFS hopes to deliver electricity from the ARC project in the early 2030s. But first, it must crack the scientific code. “Without partnership and without being bold and setting a goal and going for it, you won’t ever reach over those challenges,” said Bob Mumgaard, CFS’ CEO and co-founder.
Mumgaard added that the ARC plant will provide vital lessons during fusion’s “teething phase” — offering insights into how often fusion systems fail and how to enhance their reliability.
Google also revealed on Monday that it is boosting its investment in CFS, though it declined to specify the amount. The tech giant was part of a group that funnelled $1.8 billion into CFS back in 2021. According to Mumgaard, CFS’ current fundraising efforts are on par with that previous round.
