Things You Gotta Know
Fox News Special Report Spotlights Fusion Energy’s Progress and Remaining Hurdles
Fox News anchor Bret Baier devoted a Special Report segment to fusion energy, featuring Commonwealth Fusion Systems CEO Bob Mumgaard, Exelon CEO Calvin Butler, and Breakthrough Institute nuclear energy innovation director Adam Stein. Mumgaard said fusion is transitioning from a science problem to an engineering one, with CFS targeting a viable reactor by the early 2030s, while Stein cautioned it remains a high-risk, long-horizon option. The report noted that fusion companies raised $2.6 billion in the 12 months leading to July 2025, a fraction of the investment flowing into fission and solar.
Rochester’s LLE and Focused Energy Announce $6.9M Inertial Fusion Research Collaboration
The University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Focused Energy Inc. have established a $6.9 million research partnership, the largest single industrial-sponsored research agreement awarded to LLE. The collaboration will use LLE’s OMEGA-class facilities and its high-bandwidth FLUX laser system to investigate laser-plasma instabilities that reduce the efficiency of laser-driven ignition, with findings feeding directly into the design of Focused Energy’s Fusion Pilot Plant. The agreement builds on an existing DOE INFUSE-funded collaboration and extends work within the DOE-sponsored IFE-COLoR consortium, which LLE leads.
UK Commits £2.5 Billion to Fusion Strategy, Including AI Supercomputer and STEP Plant
The UK government unveiled a £2.5 billion investment in next-generation nuclear fusion, covering a prototype power plant called STEP and the country’s first fusion-dedicated AI supercomputer. STEP will be built on the site of a decommissioned coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire and is expected to be operational by the early 2040s. The £45 million supercomputer, named Sunrise, is targeted for operation in June and will use physics-informed AI to develop predictive digital twins for fusion research. Science Minister Patrick Vallance framed the investment as a move toward energy self-sufficiency. The investment is projected to create up to 10,000 jobs over five years.
PPPL’s Decades of Code Development Accelerating Fusion Machine Design
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory highlighted how 75 years of plasma modeling code development is paying dividends for the commercial fusion sector. PPPL’s M3D-C1 code has been used by Commonwealth Fusion Systems for SPARC simulations, while AI-integrated codes have helped create and sustain plasmas with minimal energy loss on South Korea’s KSTAR and General Atomics’ DIII-D tokamak. Engineers are also applying AI-driven digital surrogates to stellarator magnet design, with private companies including Thea Energy already working with the lab.
VINCI-Led ILIOS Consortium Wins £200M Contract to Build UK STEP Fusion Infrastructure
UK Fusion Energy has selected the ILIOS consortium, led by VINCI Construction subsidiary Nuvia, to design and build site infrastructure for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme. The 4.5-year, £200 million contract covers Phase 1, including buildings, infrastructure, and site facilities. The consortium includes Nuvia, Kier, AECOM, AL_A, and Turner & Townsend.
NVIDIA GTC, EV Charging Expo, and FIA Policy Conference
Three major conferences this week highlight the common thread connecting AI compute, electric vehicle infrastructure, and fusion energy policy. From NVIDIA’s Rubin chip efficiency gains to DC fast charger market growth and the FIA’s international policy discussions, the common denominator is energy, and how we source, distribute, and consume it.
Do Environmentalists Really Love Nuclear Fission Now?
The NRDC surprised the energy world by filing in support of restarting Iowa’s Duane Arnold nuclear plant, which is set to supply carbon-free power for data center operations in the state. The Fusion Report examines what drove this reversal, how rising fossil fuel pollution and surging AI power demand are reshaping the clean energy calculus, and what the tradeoffs mean for the broader electricity landscape.
Multiple Progress Announcements from Realta Fusion/Kyoto Fusioneering and Helical Fusion Today
Two major fusion announcements in one day: Helical Fusion selects the NIFS campus in Japan for Phase 1 of its Helix HARUKA demonstration device, and Realta Fusion enters a bilateral strategic partnership with Kyoto Fusioneering to bring integrated fusion engineering capabilities to its magnetic mirror program. The Fusion Report covers both stories and sits down with Realta CEO Kieran Furlong to discuss what cross-border collaboration means for the path to commercial fusion.
