Fusion has finally stepped beyond the research labs and taken its first steps toward commercialization.
That was a common theme among dozens of speeches from businesspeople, engineers and lawmakers at last month’s Fusion Industry Association annual policy conference. Since 1992, a total of $7.1 billion has been invested in the fusion industry, according to the FIA.
Funding and support has accelerated since 2022, when scientists at the Department of Energy achieved a net-gain fusion reaction. What had been a side project of the world’s governments was suddenly attracting big-name private investors.
As a prime example, around the same time as the DOE breakthrough, Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures engaged Type One Energy, which was soliciting new investors. Breakthrough found Type One’s approach particularly promising.
