30-06-2025
Google to buy power from Chesterfield's planned nuclear fusion plant
Google just inked a power purchase deal with Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a company planning to build in Chesterfield County what it hopes is the world's first commercial nuclear fusion power plant.
Why it matters: The planned reactor is still years away, but the agreement shows how Google is trying to harness technology to help meet AI's voracious power needs — including in our backyard.
Driving the news: Under the agreement, announced Monday, Google would buy 200 megawatts of power from CFS' planned reactor.
It also boosts its investment in the Massachusetts-based fusion company.
Catch up quick: CFS announced late last year that, in partnership with Dominion Energy, it would build the world's first commercial nuclear fusion power plant in the James River Industrial Center in Chesterfield.
The plant, named ARC, won't be operational until the early 2030s, but it's ultimately expected to generate enough electricity to power about 150,000 homes, per a news release.
In May, CFS started the zoning and permit process for the Chesterfield site, BizSense reported. Groundbreaking isn't expected to happen until the "late 2020s."
Zoom in: Generating electricity from fusion is also still years away, Axios' Alan Neuhauser reports, but because of its promise of near-limitless zero-emissions electricity and AI'sextensive power needs, fusion energy is considered the ultimate climate moonshot.
Between the lines: Google has long invested in early-stage clean energy technologies to act as a catalyst for the industry, and this week's deal is its first energy procurement deal with a fusion company.
