October 29, 2025

Mechanical design engineer Jasmine Mund gives this week's Fusion News update - summarizing behind the headlines of recent fusion energy news articles. Links to the stories discussed are included below.1. Energy Department Announces Fusion Science & Technology Roadmap to Accelerate Commercial Fusion Powerhttps://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-department-announces-fusion-science-and-technology-roadmap-accelerate-commercial2. CFS leverages DeepMind Al for SPARChttps://www.neimagazine.com/news/cfs-leverages-deepmind-ai-for-sparc/3. Nordic study on siting of fusion pilot planthttps://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/nordic-study-on-siting-of-fusion-pilot-plant4. World-first use of 3D magnetic coils to stabilise fusion plasmahttps://www.gov.uk/government/news/world-first-use-of-3d-magnetic-coils-to-stabilise-fusion-plasmaBonus:https://www.iter.org/node/20687/iters-stefan-jachmich-wins-nuclear-fusion-journal-prizehttps://tokamakenergy.com/2025/10/15/seeing-plasma-in-colour-new-imaging-from-st40/https://www.neimagazine.com/news/german-start-up-unveils-fusion-blueprint/

Watch our podcast on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/WUUajZ5Cu4E

October 15, 2025

Jeff Peachman, PhD student at the University of Washington, gives this week's Fusion News update - summarizing behind the headlines of recent fusion energy news articles. Links to the stories discussed are included below.
1. Nuclear fusion, the 'holy grail' of power, was always 30 years away
-now it's a matter of when, not if, fusion comes online to power Al
https://fortune.com/2025/10/02/nuclear-fusion-online-commercial-ai-power/
2. Eni strikes more than $1 billion power deal with US fusion firm Commonwealth
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/eni-strikes-more-than-1-billion-power-deal-with-us-fusion-firm-commonwealth-2025-09-22/
3. New prediction model could improve the reliability of fusion power plants
https://news.mit.edu/2025/new-prediction-model-could-improve-reliability-fusion-power-plants-1007
Bonus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG3TxB-plT8
https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/cern-and-f4e-join-forces-to-advance-fusion-energy-development/61794/
Watch the episode on the FIA's YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/iNOg0Fv8bRI

Watch our podcast on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/iNOg0Fv8bRI

September 17, 2025

Mechanical design engineer Jasmine Mund gives this week's Fusion News update - summarizing behind the headlines of recent fusion energy news articles. Links to the stories discussed are included below.

1. General Atomics marks completion of ITER’s superconducting fusion magnet

https://www.ans.org/news/2025-09-04/article-7345/general-atomics-marks-completion-of-iters-superconducting-fusion-magnet/

2. Energy Department Announces $134 Million to Advance U.S. Fusion Leadership

https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/doe-invests-134-million-to-advance-u-s-leadership-in-fusion-energy-innovation/198167/ 

3. Durham scientists advance ITER reactor with landmark superconductor study

https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/durham-scientists-advance-iter-reactor-with-superconductor-study/61668/

4. Super-X' design shows major advantages in handling hot exhaust of fusion energy

https://phys.org/news/2025-09-super-major-advantages-hot-exhaust.html

5. Livermore Approves Billion-Dollar Nuclear Fusion Research Facility Proposal

https://patch.com/california/livermore/livermore-approves-billion-dollar-nuclear-fusion-research-facility-proposal#

Bonus:

https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/09/10/how-to-build-table-top-fusion-reactors

https://global.kyocera.com/newsroom/news/2025/001124.html

Watch the episode on the FIA's YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be/rzc9hed_C2c

September 3rd, 2025

Abdus Shaik, PhD student at Imperial College in London, gives this week's Fusion News update - summarizing behind the headlines of recent fusion energy news articles. Links to the stories discussed are included below.

1. Commonwealth Fusion Systems raises $863 Million

https://cfs.energy/news-and-media/commonwealth-fusion-systems-raises-863-million-series-b2-round-to-accelerate-the-commercialization-of-fusion-energy

2. Inertia Enterprises Launches with DOE and LLNL support

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250826432256/en/Inertia-Enterprises-Launches-to-Commercialize-Fusion-Energy-Founded-by-Proven-Leaders-in-Business-and-Science

3. Fusion funding and power purchase agreements ramp up

https://www.theverge.com/news/766269/nuclear-fusion-project-map

4. General Fusion raises $22 million

https://generalfusion.com/post/a-new-day-general-fusion-closes-oversubscribed-us22-million-financing-welcomes-new-board-members

Bonus:

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/over-2-5-billion-invested-in-fusion-industry-in-past-year/

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a65595434/china-super-steel/#

Watch the episode on FIA's YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be/GdPNiZ6NBHk

August 20, 2025

Jeff Peachman, PhD student at the University of Washington, gives this week's Fusion News update - summarizing behind the headlines of recent fusion energy news articles. Links to the stories discussed are included below.

1. Marathon Fusion claims it can turn mercury into gold while creating clean energy

https://phys.org/news/2025-07-marathon-fusion-mercury-gold-energy.html 

2. Finding the shadows in a fusion system faster with AI

https://phys.org/news/2025-08-shadows-fusion-faster-ai.html 

Bonus:

https://news.arizona.edu/news/u-industry-partners-poised-advance-fusion-innovation 

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/boron-powder-boosts-fusion-plasma-control/?cf-view

Watch the episode on the FIA's YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be/ET5jhBMxnBE

Fusion News: August 6, 2025

Dr. Cyd Cowley, working at the intersection of fusion and AI at FIA affiliate member digiLab, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. Helion Energy starts construction on nuclear fusion plant to power Microsoft data centers

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/helion-energy-starts-construction-nuclear-fusion-plant-power-microsoft-data-2025-07-30/ 

2. Germany advances plans for world's first fusion power plant in “High-Tech Agenda”

https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/germany-advances-plans-worlds-first-fusion-power-plant-high-tech-agenda#:~:text=The%20German%20government%20has%20fleshed,fuels%2C%20and%20industrial%20carbon%20capture. 

3. Avalanche Energy hits key milestone on the road to a desktop fusion reactor

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/23/avalanche-energy-hits-key-milestone-on-the-road-to-a-desktop-fusion-reactor/ 

Bonus:

FIA 2025 Global Fusion Industry report launch makes headlines

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/in-the-news-the-global-fusion-industry-in-2025/

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/over-2-5-billion-invested-in-fusion-industry-in-past-year/

Overview of "BEST" tokamak in China

https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/china-fusion-energy-best-reactor/

Mechanical design engineer Jasmine Mund gives this week's global fusion news update, summarizing behind all of the major headlines. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.1. EU provides funding for fusion materials testing facilityhttps://world-nuclear-news.org/articles/eu-provides-funding-for-fusion-materials-testing-facility2. FIA Launches Position Papers on EU Public-Private Partnerships, Regulations, and Fundinghttps://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fia-launches-position-papers-on-eu-public-private-partnerships-regulations-and-funding/3. Google buys fusion powerhttps://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/google-buys-fusion-power/4. Westinghouse and ITER sign a $180M Contract to Advance Nuclear Fusionhttps://info.westinghousenuclear.com/news/westinghouse-and-iter-sign-a-180m-contract-to-advance-nuclear-fusion5. World's first steady-state net power nuclear fusion plant gets funding boosthttps://interestingengineering.com/energy/japan-firm-funding-nuclear-fusion-plantBonus: FIA Launches The Global Fusion Industry in 2025: https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/news/from-the-fia/#industry-reportshttps://phys.org/news/2025-07-fusion-proxima-centauri-potentially-habitable.htmlhttps://time.com/7302543/nuclear-energy-commonwealth-fusion/https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/interview-type-one-energy-on-developing-commercially-viable-nuclear-fusion-16-07-2025/

Dr. Cyd Cowley, working at the intersection of fusion and AI at FIA affiliate member digiLab, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. Major funding milestone for world-first protype fusion plant

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/25-billion-for-world-first-prototype-fusion-energy-plant

2. Europe's fastest-growing nuclear fusion company raises $148 million in record funding round https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/11/nuclear-fusion-proxima-raises-148-million-in-record-funding-round.html

3. Nuclear fusion's plasma code cracked by US researchers' elusive 'voids' breakthrough https://interestingengineering.com/energy/fusion-plasma-code-cracked-us-researchers

Bonus: 

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/concept-borrowed-from-video-games-leads-to-fusion-energy-breakthrough/1100-6531863/

https://www.princeton.edu/news/2025/06/20/nj-hax-plasma-forge-new-strategic-innovation-center-coming-princeton-area

Mechanical design engineer Jasmine Mund gives this week's global fusion news update, summarizing behind all of the major headlines. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. TAE Technologies raises $150m in funding for fusion energy development

https://www.power-technology.com/news/tae-technologies-fusion-energy-development/

2. Fusion Supply Chain spending almost doubles in 2024, according to Fusion Industry Assocation

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fusion-supply-chain-spending-almost-doubles-in-2024-according-to-fusion-industry-association/

3. Wendelstein 7-X sets new performance records in nuclear fusion research

https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/wendelstein-7-x-sets-fusion-record-boosting-hopes-for-future-stellarators/58820/

4. ‘We’re definitely on the back foot’: U.S. risks losing fusion energy race to China, industry leaders warn

https://www.geekwire.com/2025/were-definitely-on-the-back-foot-u-s-risks-losing-fusion-energy-race-to-china-industry-leaders-warn/

5. Kyoto, Fujikura advance fusion magnet tech

https://www.geekwire.com/2025/were-definitely-on-the-back-foot-u-s-risks-losing-fusion-energy-race-to-china-industry-leaders-warn/

Bonus:

https://phys.org/news/2025-06-qa-exploring-ultra-high-temperature.html

https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/uks-advancements-in-plasma-physics-fusion-energy/58711/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XC6nYCu3UY

A summary of recent fusion energy news stories presented by Jeff Peachman, a graduate student of plasma physics at the University of Washington. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. Laser-powered fusion experiment more than doubles its power output.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/17/laser-powered-fusion-experiment-more-than-doubles-its-power-output/

2. US fires world's most powerful laser ever, 100 times brighter than global power.

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/us-fires-worlds-most-powerful-laser-ever

3. Realta Fusion, raises $36M, targeting mid-2030s for commercial fusion energy.

https://www.wisbusiness.com/2025/realta-fusion-raises-36m-targeting-mid-2030s-for-commercial-fusion-energy/

Bonus:

https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/france-fusion-energy-suprafusion-program/

https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/science-nature/technology/20250520-255367/

Dr. Cyd Cowley, working at the intersection of fusion and AI at FIA affiliate member digiLab, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. US firm unveils world’s largest 350MW stellarator fusion power design basishttps://interestingengineering.com/energy/us-stellarator-fusion-power-design-basis?group=test_b

2. Bill Gates-backed Commonwealth Fusion Systems hits key reactor construction milestone

https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/25/bill-gates-backed-commonwealth-fusion-systems-hits-key-reactor-construction-milestone/

3.Marvel Fusion secures €113 million in Series B funding

https://technews180.com/funding-news/marvel-fusion-secures-e113-million-in-series-b-funding/

4. Germany plans 1 gigawatt nuclear fusion facility at famous Biblis reactor sitehttps://interestingengineering.com/energy/germany-1gw-nuclear-fusion-power-plant?group=test_b

5.Thea Energy Hits Milestone in Quest to Simplify Fusion

https://heatmap.news/climate-tech/thea-energy-fusion-stellarator-magnets

Bonus:

https://www.sustainability-times.com/low-carbon-energy/three-times-the-size-of-the-pentagon-this-giant-fusion-research-center-rising-in-china-is-rewriting-the-rules-of-energy/

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fusion-industry-association-ceo-andrew-holland-highlights-key-reports-at-iaea-fusion-webinar/

Kyra Jorgensen, working at FIA member Helion, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1.UKAEA and Eni Unite to Construct the World's Largest Fusion Fuel Facility

https://www.sustainabletimes.co.uk/post/ukaea-and-eni-unite-to-construct-the-world-s-largest-fusion-fuel-facility

2. US to test crucial nuclear ‘fusion blanket’ to produce sun-like power on Earth

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/us-inl-nuclear-fusion-blanket 

3. General Fusion’s Made-in-Canada Technology Achieves First Plasma in Cutting Edge Fusion Demonstration Machine

https://generalfusion.com/post/general-fusions-made-in-canada-technology-achieves-first-plasma-in-cutting-edge-fusion-demonstration-machine/

4. Virginia governor say US must develop fusion or fall behind China on energy

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/ceraweek-virginia-governor-say-us-must-develop-fusion-or-fall-behind-china-2025-03-12/ 

Bonus: 

https://youtu.be/kf4NyRbvkmM?si=jE8zjjdirF5xnUTI

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fia-sends-letter-to-congress-on-expanding-45x-tax-credit-eligibility/ 

Dr. Cyd Cowley, working at the intersection of fusion and AI at FIA affiliate member digiLab, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.1. German Startup Publishes Open-Source Plans for Fusion Power Planthttps://www.wsj.com/articles/german-startup-publishes-open-source-plans-for-nuclear-fusion-power-plant-7b2b62412. Fusion: WEST Machine beats the world record for plasma durationhttps://phys.org/news/2025-02-nuclear-fusion-west-machine-world.html3. The quest for better fusion reactors is putting a new generation of superconductors to the test https://physicsworld.com/a/the-quest-for-better-fusion-reactors-is-putting-a-new-generation-of-superconductors-to-the-test/#:~:text=Feature-,The%20quest%20for%20better%20fusion%20reactors%20is%20putting%20a,of%20superconductors%20to%20the%20test&text=Fusion%20%E2%80%93%20the%20process%20that%20powers,unlimited%20amounts%20of%20clean%20energy.4. Doctoral training to develop the next generation of fusion energy expertshttps://ccfe.ukaea.uk/doctoral-training-to-develop-the-next-generation-of-fusion-energy-experts/Bonus: https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/fia-holds-fourth-annual-policy-conference/https://x.com/TokamakEnergy/status/1892851016938508349 https://youtu.be/RhABLT7N1bs?si=a_tFFYy52CpqHyiK

Mechanical design engineer Jasmine Mund gives this week's global fusion news update, summarizing behind all of the major headlines. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. A retired coal plant to become a 350MW stellarator fusion power facilityhttps://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/tva-signs-up-for-type-one-energy-fusion-plant

2. Neutron isotropy measurements validate shared-flow-stabilized z pinches for stable thermal fusionhttps://phys.org/news/2025-02-neutron-isotropy-validate-stabilized-stable.html

3. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories expands clean energy siting invitation to include fusion, hydrogen, and battery storagehttps://fuelcellsworks.com/2025/02/05/clean-energy/canadian-nuclear-laboratories-expands-clean-energy-siting-invitation-to-include-fusion-hydrogen-and-battery-storage

Bonus:

Modi and Macron visit ITER site in southern France

https://apnews.com/video/modi-and-macron-visit-iter-site-in-southern-france-3246594f36774e55b38d2708d4b49d6a

European Parliament Hosts First-of-a-Kind Fusion Public Hearing

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/european-parliament-hosts-first-of-a-kind-fusion-public-hearing/

Jeff Peachman, PhD student at the University of Washington, gives today's Fusion News update - summarizing the major recent headlines in fusion energy. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. Helion raises $425M to help build a fusion reactor for Microsoft

https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/28/helion-raises-425m-to-help-build-a-fusion-reactor-for-microsoft/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACCHSANyin08I0FOcqSOfIR23FAoJh1rpHCxk-5f309sZIVfh3VYtpCEzicMBZFkEJ8J585dolFgu5sJrDyMefIClG23AXCb88_FqwreC_ta2lJwHsMycK-xW94q9B6uwnodJL_m8hUysYvtPtZK7Tot8T_3LVCUQSO1DscFQljr 

2. Deploying Advanced Energy Tech Faster

https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2025/sessions/deploying-advanced-energy-tech-faster/ 

3. UKAEA to invest £200m to advance fusion fuel development

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/ukaea-to-invest-200m-to-advance-fusion-fuel-development/ 

4. SMART: One step closer to nuclear fusion with its first plasma

https://phys.org/news/2025-01-smart-closer-nuclear-fusion-plasma.html 

Bonus:

Exclusive: Images show China building huge fusion research facility, analysts say

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/images-show-china-building-huge-fusion-research-facility-analysts-say-2025-01-28/

Private companies aim to demonstrate working fusion reactors in 2025

https://www.science.org/content/article/private-companies-aim-demonstrate-working-fusion-reactors-2025 

Dr. Cyd Cowley, working at the intersection of fusion and AI at FIA affiliate member digiLab, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. Fusion Start-Up Plans to Build Its First Power Plant in Virginia 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/17/climate/commonwealth-fusion-power-plant.html 

2. Ministers pledge record €410m to support UK nuclear fusion energy 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/16/ministers-pledge-record-410m-to-support-uk-nuclear-fusion-energy

3. Is the world ready for the transformational power of fusion? 

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/01/fusion-energy-future/ 

4. Fusion-grade steel produced at scale in UK-first

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fusion-grade-steel-produced-at-scale-in-uk-first 

Bonus: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-opportunities-action-plan-government-response/ai-opportunities-action-plan-government-response 

In this special edition of Fusion News, Fusion Industry Association CEO Andrew Holland summarizes fusion's progress in 2024 and introduces some of the major headlines from the year. Links to news stories are included below. Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and healthy 2025!

1. Nuclear Startup Pacific Fusion Nabs $900 Million in Funding

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-25/nuclear-startup-pacific-fusion-raises-900-million-in-funding

2. Thales and the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics set a world record in the field of nuclear fusion

https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/group/press_release/thales-and-max-planck-institute-plasma-physics-set-world-record-field

3. The nuclear fusion industry is having a growth spurt

https://www.axios.com/2024/07/17/nuclear-fusion-companies-funding

4. Record electron temperatures for a small-scale, sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch fusion device achieved

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-electron-temperatures-small-scale-stabilized.html

https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.155101

5. G7 Puts Fusion Forward at the Climate Energy and Environment Ministers Meeting

https://www.fusionindustryassociation.org/g7-puts-fusion-forward-at-the-climate-energy-and-environment-ministers-meeting/

6. Helion secures license for Polaris fusion

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/helion-secures-licence-to-advance-polaris-fusion-facility/

December 11, 2024

Mechanical engineer Jasmine Mund gives today's Fusion News episode, summarizing the major fusion news headlines from the past two weeks. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below. 1. General Fusion confirms significant fusion neutron yield and plasma stability during MTF compression experiment series with new peer-reviewed publication https://generalfusion.com/post/general-fusion-confirms-significant-fusion-neutron-yield-and-plasma-stability-during-mtf-compression-experiment-series-with-new-peer-reviewed-publication/ 2. China ships vital ITER modules for assembly of world’s largest fusion reactor https://interestingengineering.com/energy/china-made-components-iter-fusion-reactor 3. Researchers reveal the mechanism of runaway electron generation in tokamak fusion reactors https://phys.org/news/2024-12-reveal-mechanism-runaway-electron-generation.html 4. Tokamak Energy partners with U.S. DOE and UK’s DESNZ to accelerate fusion development through $52m ST40 upgrade https://tokamakenergy.com/2024/12/05/tokamak-energy-partners-with-u-s-doe-and-uks-desnz-to-accelerate-fusion-development-through-52m-st40-upgrade/ 5. Nuclear Data InterAgency Working Group Funding Opportunity https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOEOS/bulletins/3c3e19c Bonuses: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-worlds-first-fusion-energy-cafe-opens-to-fuel-hungry-minds https://physicsworld.com/a/optimization-algorithm-gives-laser-fusion-a-boost/ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/iter-organization_fusionenergy-iter-virtualtour-activity-7267601893353250819-GPI3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

November 27, 2024

Fusion News

Dr. Cyd Cowley, working at the intersection of fusion and AI at FIA affiliate member digiLab, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below. 1. Nuclear Startup Pacific Fusion Nabs $900 Million in Funding https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-25/nuclear-startup-pacific-fusion-raises-900-million-in-funding 2. Japan launches FAST fusion power project https://www.neimagazine.com/news/japan-launches-fast-fusion-power-project/ 3. The Quest to Build a Star on Earth https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/15/climate/fusion-energy.html?smid=url-share 4. Limitless fusion power: Tokamak Energy heats up with $125M from investors including British Patient Capital https://techfundingnews.com/tokamak-energy-8m-investment-fusion-limitless-fusion-power/ 5. Nuclear fusion start-up claims milestone with unconventional reactor https://www.ft.com/content/69ac41e6-36ad-41b7-92f3-25198a338c0f Bonus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq68cV7HAIg

You can watch this episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/rFiUiqClflM