NRIC Launch Pad Selects Four Startups

• NRIC Selects 4 Startups for Its Nuclear Energy Launch Pad
• NRIC Opens 2nd Round for Launch Pad Applications. DOME is also Available for Testing
• ARPA-E & DOE Offer $50 Million to Develop Transuranic Fuels for Advanced Reactors
• DOE Aims to Remover Roadblocks to Put Nuclear Reactors in Space
• Belgium in Talks to Take Over Nuclear Power Plants
• Grid connection Requested for Commonwealth Fusion Plant
• Israeli Companies Collaborate on Nuclear Fusion For Critical Water Infrastructure

NRIC Selects 4 Startups for Its Nuclear Energy Launch Pad

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy and the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) at the Idaho National Laboratory, announced the first developers selected for the newly established Nuclear Energy Launch Pad. The initiative helps private nuclear developers move their technologies from concept to commercial deployment.

“The Launch Pad initiative will empower developers by providing the resources and support necessary to advance the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies and contribute to a sustainable and secure energy future for our nation,” said Rian Bahran, DOE deputy assistant secretary for Nuclear Reactors.

The program offers the first four participants the equivalent of a governemnt sponsored sandbox to develop their respective reactor designs. It includes enticements for the firms use the lab’s capabilities but at their expense. DOE is not providing any funding to cover the scope of work each firm chooses to pursue. Here’s a brief list of what the four firms can expect at the Idaho National Laboratory.

‘Launch Pad INL’ covers more than 2,000 acres, divided into several plots for private nuclear tech developers. Eligible projects include advanced reactors, fuel fabrication, recycling, enrichment and other innovations.

• Land suitable for different nuclear applications and regulatory deployment structure.
• Accelerated identification, allocation and assessment of sites.
• Access to INL’s existing utilities and services.
• Direct access to specialized nuclear expertise, as needed.
• Assistance navigating the complexities of nuclear regulations for DOE authorization or Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing.
• A flexible contract framework with DOE and INL.

A second element, called ‘Launch Pad USA’ authorizes the operation of nuclear reactors and fuel cycle facilities outside of Idaho National Laboratory. They include remote or project-specific access to specialized nuclear expertise at INL or other national laboratories.

Who Are the Launch Pad Participating Firms

DOE reviewed and competitively selected four companies from the initial pool of Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program applicants to be included in the Launch Pad Program. Inclusion in the program allows these companies to begin discussion with NRIC on the enhanced technical, regulatory and deployment support Launch Pad is able to provide. The first four selected firms include;

Deployable Energy – Deployable Energy, a Houston, TX, based startup, is developing a ‘Nuclear Battery’ that will produce 1 MWe / 3.5 MWt using standard nuclear fuel at 5% U235 with a 5 year refueling cycle. According to the firm, the reactor will be helium cooled using off the shelf materials in its supply chain to speed development and deployment of the reactor by 2028. The firm was founded last year, claims it is self-funded, and is reported by Axios to have just four employees.

It is racing to show it can build a prototype that will sustain a critical nuclear reaction in its design by this coming July. The firm plans to pitch its microreactors to the oil & gas industry for its capability to produces process heat and electricity.

Deployable energy is the latest of a series of microreactor developers targeting the oil and gas industry to meet its demand for process heat and power while not also burning the product to operate that they would prefer to sell to customers.

CEO Bobby Gallagher previously founded and exited a VC-backed fossil energy company for a reported “nine-figure” sum. This does, in fact, make him the primary financial backer, providing the lion’s share of the initial capital to maintain to drive the firm forward while retaining his equity in it. His shift to nuclear energy is based on his experience in the energy industry.

In the startup world, founders often say they are “self-funding” to signal that they aren’t beholden to traditional VC timelines yet. By accepting funds from Capital Factory and Blue Corridor Ventures, the company has moved beyond a purely bootstrapped or self-funded model. The company is currently in the process of raising a $25 million pre-seed/seed round to accelerate their demonstration timeline

General Matter – This firm is in the nuclear fuel business and plans to re-enrich depleted uranium, now in the form of UF6 gas contained in tens of thousands of DOE owned canisters at the Paducah, KY, site. General Matter plans to launch its uranium enrichment operations by the end of the decade upon receiving a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). It is currently engaged in pre-licensing work with the agency.

The firm has been tight lipped about the process it will use to re-enrich the depleted UF6. All of its topical reports submitted so far to the NRC have been redacted from public review for proprietary reasons. This is a common practice for firms with new nuclear technologies that are still in development.

General Matter received a $900 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract from DOE in January 2026 to carry out its enrichment efort. IDIQ means “indefinite quantity indefinite delivery” and it means, in effect, General Matter doesn’t get any government money for its project unless DOE also issues a “delivery order” for enriched uranium. General Matter has to complete the R&D work on its enrichment process and have it tested and ready, and must get a license from the NRC to qualify for DOE purchase orders.

General Matter has competition at the Paducah site. The Paducah Site is also partnering with Global Laser Enrichment (GLE). The private commercial company plans to build the Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility on recently acquired land adjacent to the Paducah Site and has submitted its license application for the facility to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

GLE currently has exclusive rights to use the SILEX laser separation process to enrich natural UF₆ gas in the uranium-235 isotope. In April, 2016, GEH announced plans to reduce its equity interest in GLE. Subsequently, Silex Systems Limited (Silex) announced its intentions to abandon the acquisition of a majority stake in GLE GLE

NuCube Energy and Idaho State University – The firm is offering a 4 MWt  microreactor that uses TRISO fuel, heat pipes, and a proprietary heat-to-electricity system.  The firm claims its reactor can produce electricity via high temperature heat greater than 1,000 degrees Celsius. The firm told World Nuclear News, “It is the only reactor that can compete with natural gas for high temperature industrial customers.”

Energy storage firm Energy Vault has signed a strategic partnership with NuCube Energy, a nuclear microreactor developer, to support the delivery of NuCube’s NuSun microreactor for use in the data center industry.

The partnership aims to integrate the NuSun microreactor with Energy Vault’s VaultOS Energy Management System and B-VAULT Battery Storage System.

NuCube Energy and Argonne National Laboratory will collaborate to validate remote operations for the NuCube Microreactor through an FY 2026 GAIN Voucher. The Project will validate autonomous operations, remote monitoring, islanding-mode transitions, and predictive maintenance to support reduced staffing models and future licensing engagement. NuCube is pursuing remote operation as a design-enabled feature of the platform rather than as an operational add-on.

The leadership team at NuCube Energy incudes co-founders Bill Gross, CEO of Idealab Studio, and Cristian Rabiti, Ph.D., MBA who was previously VP of Business Development at Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC). Two other executives from USNC are also onboard.

NuCube is funded through a combination of venture capital, high-net-worth private investors, and strategic industrial partnerships. The latest funding round in February 2026 raised $13 million. The lead investors are Arizona Nuclear Ventures, Emission Reduction Corporation, led by financier Marin Katusa, and Idea Lab Studio. Strategic Partners include Idealabx, Halliburton Labs and Shell Game Changer.

Radiant Industries – The firm is offering a micro HTGR with power output at 1.2 MWe /3.5 MW. Radiant is scheduled in the near term to begin a year of experiments to test its reactor design and fuel at INL’s DOME facility at the Materials & Fuels Complex located on the Arco Desert about 25 miles west of Idaho Falls, ID.

The test work will advance the company’s commercial 1.2 MWe high-temperature gas reactor design as a potential replacement for diesel generators. Radiant’s Kaleidos reactor uses TRISO fuiel, and is designed to be built on an assembly line and deliver more than 1 MW of electricity in a portable package.

The DOME facility is being established at INL to accelerate deployment of advanced microreactor technologies. Radiant was competitively selected and is currently working through the multi-phase DOE authorization process to support the design, fabrication, construction, and testing of each fueled reactor experiment.

In December the firm announced has raised more than $300 million in a new round of funding. This latest capital raise comes just six months after closing its $165 millipn Series C earlier this year, Put together in just a few weeks, the new funding will support the scaling of commercialization efforts as Radiant prepares to break ground early next year on its recently announced R-50 factory in Oak Ridge, TN.

As part of this latest capital raise frfom current investors, Radiant also received additional investment from Founders Fund, ARK Venture Fund, Chevron Technology Ventures, and others. Radiant Nuclear is privately held.

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NRIC Opens for 2nd Round for Launch Pad Applications

• NRIC is also accepting applications from private nuclear technology developers to access the Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) test bed (fact sheet).

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy and the National Reactor Innovation Center have officially opened the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad’s request for applications (RFA) (apply at SAM.GOV)

The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative is designed to promote rapid development and implementation of advanced nuclear technologies by private industry. By issuing the RFA, NRIC is inviting the next generation of nuclear innovators to apply to participate in the Launch Pad initiative.

“The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad is delivering on its promise,” NRIC Director Brad Tomer said. “With the RFA now open, we are partnering with industry to accelerate the building of a strong pipeline of advanced nuclear technologies that will help define the next era of nuclear energy in the United States.”

Building on the success of DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program, each launched in 2025, the Launch Pad uses flexible technical and regulatory frameworks on federal and nonfederal lands, creating an innovation ecosystem and accelerating advanced nuclear technology deployment.

The Launch Pad offers two pathways for nuclear developers:

• Launch Pad INL, located at the Idaho National Laboratory, provides access to world-class nuclear research infrastructure, decades of operational expertise and streamlined regulatory support; and
• Launch Pad USA, which extends the program’s flexible framework to federal and nonfederal sites across the country.

No Cash from Uncle Sam

DOE and NRIC emphasize in the RFAs that any firm that participants in the program does so at its own expense. The government is not providing any funding to firms selected for the Launch Pad or the DOME test program.

There is no cash no way from Uncle Sam for either the Launch Pad or using the DOME to test a reactor. This is a continuation of DOE’s policy first announced for 11 microreactor developers in a horse race without a purse who are pursuing a first criticality by 07/04/26

Applicants must fully finance design, construction, operation, and decommissioning, as well as cover DOE and national laboratory costs associated with authorization and support activities.

Industry Day

NRIC will host a virtual Industry Day on Tuesday, May 19, from 9 AM to noon MDT, to provide prospective applicants with an overview of the Launch Pad initiative, the RFA requirements, and the available pathways for participation. The event will offer an opportunity for developers to ask questions and engage directly with NRIC and DOE staff. Those interested in participating in the Industry Day can register here.

Completion Milestones Are Part of the Launch Pad Deal

Some firms may have gotten the idea that participating in the Launch Pad or DOME programs gives them a ‘get out of jail free card’ in terms of NRC licensing.

What DOE says is, “Facilities built and operated pursuant to the Launch Pad initiative will not require initial NRC licensing.”

But wait, there is more. The RFA also says DOE-approved designs may later transition to commercial licensing pathways. If they don’t that’s it. NRC licensing is still a requirement if the firm wants to go to market with its reactor.

Of equal significance, the RFA includes key milestones to measure progress. It starts with a Nuclear Safety Design Agreement (NSDA) and a Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis (PDSA) at approximately 50% design completion.

Then it requres a final Documented Safety Analysis (DSA) and Technical Safety Requirements, and on to acceptance testing, fueling, and criticality, followed by operations and eventual decommissioning if the firm is not progressing to commercialization, or the form can go forward to apply for an NRC license at its own expense.

How to Apply

Interested applicants must submit their responses to the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad RFA by June 19 at 5 p.m. MDT. The deadline for applications is July 8 at 5 p.m. MDT. The RFA outlines eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission instructions for both the Launch Pad INL and Launch Pad USA pathways. The RFA can be accessed here. Information on the RFA and Launch Pad can be found on the NRIC website.

In a separate RFA, NRIC is also now accepting applications from private nuclear technology developers to access the Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) test bed. More information about DOME is available on the NRIC website. Applications can filed at SAM.GOV The deadline for applications is 07/08/26.

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ARPA-E & DOE Offer $50 Million to Develop Transuranic Fuels for Advanced Reactors

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced up to $50 million in funding to develop transuranic (TRU) fuels for use in advanced reactors using materials recovered from America’s reserves of used nuclear fuel and other strategic materials.

A transuranic fuel is fabricated using artificially made radioactive elements that has an atomic number higher than uranium in the periodic table of elements such as neptunium, plutonium, americium, and others.

Since the U.S. inventory of surplus plutonium is in the hands of the Department of Energy (NNSA), it comes from defense sources. Some of comes the disassembly of nuclear weapons at Pantex and related sources. Development of transuranic fuels, especiually weapons related plutonium (PU-239), from these materials would solve DOE’s otherwise seemingly intractable problem of how to safely dispose of these materials.

For instance, Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX) is fabricated using PU-239, whuich is the chief fissile element used in some nuclear weapons. It is generated in commercial nuclear reactors as part of the burn up of low enriched nuclear fuel elements (U235 < 5%) mostly at the end of the 18-24 month cycle for each fuel asssembly. According to the World Nuclear Association, Mixed Oxide Fuel, has these characteristics.

• MOX fuel is manufactured from plutonium recovered from used reactor fuel, mixed with depleted uranium.
• It can also be fabricated from weapons grade plutonium into fuel assemblies for PWR light water reactors.
• Mixed oxide (MOX) fuel provides almost 5% of the new nuclear fuel used today and fuels about 10% of France’s fleet.
• An innovative development in recycling plutonium and uranium as MOX is Russia’s REMIX fuel, not yet commercialized.

By using transuranic fuels, DOE wants to pursue significantly reducing the amount of nuclear waste, e.g., spent fuel from light water reactors, that otherwise stays highly radioactive for thousands of years, while simultaneously squeezing more energy out of the same amount of raw material. In words of one syllabe, transuraic fuels in “fast reactors” produce a lot more energy than commercial uramium oxide fuel at less than 5% U235 in light water reactors.

What ARPA Wants to Accomplish and Why

The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) is considering issuing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to accelerate U.S. energy independence by increasing domestic supplies of nuclear fuels.

This potential funding opportunity would aim to support the development of transuranic (TRU) fuels that use a largely untapped domestic fissile resource found across U.S. inventories.

TRU fuels offer a path to expanding the nation’s nuclear fuel supply while reducing the volume of radioactive waste. Economically viable TRU fuels will strengthen U.S. energy security, reduce reliance on foreign sources, and support long-term deployment of new nuclear power plants. This potential program would fund coordinated efforts spanning fuel design, fabrication, testing, modeling, and qualification, along with analysis of cost, impact, and deployment pathways.

It is anticipated that technologies developed under this potential program will have the ability to enable:

• A domestic TRU fuel supply chain;
• A levelized cost of fuel (LCOF) ≤ 1¢/kWh; and
• TRU fuel qualification and regulatory acceptance within seven years.

The High Performance Optimized Recycled Nuclear Isotopes for Gen IV Reactors (HORNIG) program will support the design, fabrication, testing, and qualification of these new fuels. HORNIG projects are intended to design and test TRU-based fuel systems, improve fuel cost and manufacturability, and shorten qualification timelines from decades to less than seven years. 

The application forms are found here on the ARPA website

Operating and Planned Fast Reactors that Burn Plutonium as Fuel

Currently, Russia, China, and India are the top countries that have made significant investments in designing and commissioning advanced nuclear fast reactors that burn plutonium as fuel. There are none in the U.S. See table below.

It raises the question of whether DOE’s use of transuranic materials will be limited to produceing MOX fuel or whether the agency has it in mind to eventually develop an initiative to fund design and deployment in the U.S. of fast reactors to burn transuranic fuel.

In the U.S. the design basis for the TerraPower reactor was the GE Hitachi PRISM reactor which was pitched in 2012 to the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to burn its stocks of surplus plutonium as its fuel. However, TerraPower’s Natrium reactor, now under construction in Wyoming, uses uranium metal fuel.

In 2018 the INL selected the PRISM reactor to be the design basis for a new test reactor for the site. The reactor project included a uranium-plutonium-zirconium alloy fuel. This type of alloy fuel was tested previously in the EBR-II reactor. However, the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) program was ended by DOE in 2022 after Congress declined to fund building it. Surplus fuel from the EBR-II program is anticipated to be used by Oklo for its first advanced reactor which is planned to be built at the Idaho National Laboratory.

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DOE Aims to Remover Roadblocks to Put Nuclear Reactors in Space

The Department of Energy (DOE) is conducting a Space Reactor Industrial Base Assessment to identify gaps in the U.S. industrial base and recommend actions to close them.

The specific mandate is to assess the readiness of the U.S. nuclear reactor industrial base to produce up to four space reactors within five years, covering reactor design, long-lead-time components, and fuel allocation or production.

This request for informatoin (RFI), and the broader assessment it informs, supports DOE’s mission to develop and enable the use of space nuclear power systems to advance U.S. scientific, exploration, and national security objectives. An RFI is usually the first step in a planned procurement process for services to test the market for firms that have an interest in the work and can do it.

This RFI solicits industry input to inform that assessment. It is technology-inclusive — no specific design or technology solution is presumed by the government.

What This RFI Is Asking For

• The goal is to identify constraints, not collect capability statements: DOE stresses that responses should focus on what is hard, what is missing, what is at risk, and what government actions would help. Respondents should address only the areas relevant to their expertise.
• The assessment covers the nuclear power unit — from the reactor core through the power conversion system (PCS). It excludes the spacecraft bus, avionics, launch vehicle, and other mission-level systems.

Key Topical Areas of the RFI

• Nuclear fuel –  Enrichment, fabrication, fuel forms
• Design capability – Workforce, nuclear data, material performance data, modeling & simulation tools
• Non-fuel core components – Radiation shielding, Coolant, heat transfer mechanisms, reflectors, moderators, structural components
• Instrumentation & control – Radiation hardened components supporting space reactor relevant temperatures, control systems and software
• Power conversion systems – Stirling, Closed Brayton Cycle,
• Infrastructure capabilities – Ground test facilities, irradiation facilities, integrated vehicle testing, launch safety qualification facilities, safeguards (e.g. if HEU)

For a full list of topical areas see this web page.

RFI Parameter Envelope for this Assessment

Electrical power class — <10 kWe | 10–40 kWe | 40–100 kWe | >100 kWe
Fuel form class — HALEU TRISO | HALEU metallic | HEU metallic | Other
Primary coolant/heat transport — Heat pipe | Liquid metal | Gas | Other
Core thermal power — <50 kWt | 50–250 kWt | 250–500 kWt | >500 kWt
Mission profile — Orbital | Lunar surface | Deep space

What About Safety?

Missing from the DOE list in the RFI of concerns is the question of safety. Specifically, the key issues are getting the fueled reactor safely into outer space as well as safely operating it once it is in space or landed on the Moon or Mars.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) plays a role in ensuring the safe and responsible use of nuclear technologies in space missions. The NRC collaborates with experts and other U.S. government agencies like DOE and NASA to review the safety of these missions. The IAEA is also involved in safety for the uses of nuclear reactors in space.

Here is a list of key issues focused on safety of putting nuclear reactors to work in space that are not in the DOE RFI

• Launch and Ascent Integrity
• Radiation Shielding for Crew
• Operational Reliability and Autonomy
• Planetary Protection and End-of-Life
• Non-Proliferation and Security

These safey issues will need to be assessed arcross a range of space nucear applicatios. Here is a short list of uses of reactors in space.

• Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs)
• Compact Fission or Fusion Reactors
• Nuclear Thermal Propulsion
• Nuclear Electric Propulsion

For a deep dive into each of these safety issues for nuclear reactors in space, see this briefing prepared by Neutron Bytes at this link. The briefing was prepared based on research using Google Gemini Pro.

For a broader look at the uses of nuclear reactors in space see also World Nuclear Association, “Nuclear Reactors and Radioisotopes for Space“

How to respond to DOE’s Request

Submissions: chase.egbert@inl.gov
Questions: Sebastian Corbisiero, National Technical Director, DOE Space Reactor Program sebastian.corbisiero@inl.gov

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Belgium in Talks to Take Over Nuclear Power Plants

• Move could lead to restart of some reactors that were shut down under earlier phaseout policy

(NucNet) The Belgian government is in talks to buy the nuclear utility assets of French power group Engie in Belgium in a move that could lead to the restart of reactors that had been shut down.

Pending the talks, all ongoing decommissioning and dismantling works at the country’s shut-down nuclear plants will be halted immediately. The proposed deal would cover all nuclear activities currently owned and operated by Engie and its Electrabel unit, including the Belgium’s seven commercial nuclear power plants, only two of which remain online.

The move reflects the government’s ambition to extend the lifespan of existing reactors and potentially develop new nuclear capacity in Belgium. The statement said the move would help secure the country’s energy supplies.

Prime minister Bart De Wever confirmed the transaction would also involve suspending plans to decommission nuclear operations in Belgium.

“The government is making the choice of having a secure, affordable and long-lasting source of energy, with less reliance upon fossil fuels, which will give us more control over our supplies.”

For now, the agreement takes the form of a letter of intent. Belgium will carry out a full due diligence investigation into Engie’s nuclear activities before both parties reach a broader agreement by October 2026.

The suspension of decommissioning and dismantling works is potentially significant, as some reactors had already begun the decommissioning process.

Tihange-1 A Possible Restart Candidate

According to reports in De Standaard, key control equipment at Tihange-1 was due to be removed in the coming weeks. The plant is reportedly viewed within government circles as one of the strongest candidates for a possible restart. Belgium will compensate Engie for costs already incurred through decommissioning activities during the negotiation period.

Financial details of a potential acquisition have not yet been disclosed, although reports suggest the ageing reactors are considered to have limited market value.

In December Belgium permanently shut down the Doel-2 plant near Antwerp after 50 years of operation, making it the fifth reactor in the country to be taken offline under a previously agreed nuclear phaseout framework and leaving only two units – Doel-4 and Tihange-3 – in operation.

Earlier in 2025, the federal government reversed a 2003 nuclear phaseout law and signalled a move toward long-term operation and potential new-build options. Under the nuclear phaseout law of 2003, all seven nuclear reactor units in Belgium at the time had to be permanently shut down by 2025.

In 2022, in light of concerns about security of supply in the context of the energy crisis and the Russian war against Ukraine, the government decided to keep Doel-4 and Tihange-3, the two newest plants, in operation for an additional 10 years.

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Grid connection Requested for Commonwealth Fusion Plant

(WNN) Commonwealth Fusion Systems has applied to connect its first ARC fusion power plant to PJM Interconnection, the largest US competitive wholesale electricity market. The plant is expected to start up in the early 2030s.

Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spinout company, said the application is the first-ever request from a grid-scale fusion power plant developer to a major regional transmission organization.

CFS said, “Submitting the interconnection request is one of the long-lead actions necessary for providing power in the early 2030s because the start of the study process to the generation of electricity can take four to six years.

An interconnection application is the formal process of requesting to “plug in” a new power plant to one of the USA’s regional transmission organizations. It kicks off a series of engineering studies to ensure the grid can safely and reliably handle the influx of the new generating capacity and energy being provided and assess whether any network upgrades are required to support it.

PJM will use sophisticated grid simulation models to stress-test the generation systems of CFS’s fusion power plant to ensure it can connect reliably to help meet the region’s surging energy demands driven in part by the massive electrical use of AI data centers.The rates increases associated with new data centers have created an energetic public backlash by consumers.

PJM coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Its system serves about 182,000 MW of capacity to more than 65 million customers.

Virginia Location Chosen for CFS First Fusion Plant

CFS announced in plans December 2024 to independently finance, construct, own and operate a commercial-scale fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, VA. In July last year, Google signed an investment and offtake agreement with Commonwealth Fusion Systems for 200 MW of power from its first ARC commercial fusion plant.

The company said it reached an agreement with Dominion Energy Virginia to provide non-financial collaboration, including development and technical expertise as well as leasing rights for the proposed site at the James River Industrial Park. Dominion Energy Virginia currently owns the proposed site. Dominion Energy is advising CFS on best practices for navigating PJM’s interconnection process as part of its Joint Development Agreement with CFS.

About the CFS Fusion Machine

CFS is currently working to build the SPARC prototype fusion machine at its headquarters in Devens, MA. It is described as a compact, high-field, net fusion energy device that would be the size of existing mid-sized fusion devices, but with a much stronger magnetic field. The doughnut-shaped device will use powerful electromagnets to produce the right conditions for fusion energy, including an interior temperature surpassing 100 million degrees Celsius. It aims to produce 50-100 MW of fusion power. ARC is scheduled to deliver power to the grid in the early 2030s.

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Israeli Companies Collaborate on Nuclear Fusion For Critical Water Infrastructure

(NucNet) Israeli compact fusion energy company nT-Tao and the country’s national water company Mekorot have announced a collaboration to explore fusion energy as a power source for critical water and wastewater infrastructure. The firm, nT-Tao, founded in 2019, is developing a 20 MWe compact fusion machine. The company plans to offer the fusion plants to customers in multiple units per installation by stacking the units one on top of another like cans of food in a supermarket.

The Tao Core is designed for high magnetic fields (8–10 Tesla) within a compact stellarator geometry, while rotating electromagnetic fields reduce plasma instabilities during the heating-cycle pulses. This enables stable plasma confinement while reducing overall system size and complexity.

The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which includes plans to establish a dedicated research and development center and pilot facility to support future deployment. Under the MoU, nT-Tao and Mekorot will collaborate to examine and refine advanced fusion-based technologies designed to supply reliable energy to water facilities, including desalination and waste management.

The collaboration aligns nT-Tao’s compact fusion power system with the operational requirements of national critical infrastructure, establishing a pathway towards future deployment.

The dedicated research and development center will be the first pilot facility to support the development and validation of nT-Tao’s next-phase fusion systems, including its final core configuration, under real-world infrastructure conditions.s.

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