Since scientists hit net energy gain in 2022, utilities like Dominion and TVA have signed deals with nuclear fusion startups racing to commercialize the technology. (Utility Dive)
Early movers: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman-backed Helion is building a 50-MW plant in Washington that it says will power up by 2028 for Microsoft. CFS, partnered with Dominion, aims for a 400-MW plant in Virginia in the early 2030s. TVA has teamed with Type One Energy on a 350-MW facility at a retired coal site.
The utility POV: Fusion promises dense, carbon-free power with almost no long-lived waste—exactly the kind of firm capacity grid planners want as demand soars.
The reality check: Big technical hurdles remain—from containing plasma to hardening reactor materials—and many experts say truly commercial fusion could still be 15–30 years out.