US Government Commits $85 Million to Power Electronics for Fusion Reactors

Building a commercial fusion industry will take more than just magnets and plasma. Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) announced on Thursday it has secured $85 million in federal funding to develop the advanced semiconductors and power electronics needed for fusion power plants. The award, issued by the Department of Commerce under the CHIPS Act, is intended to bolster research and expand domestic manufacturing of the specialized components required to build and operate these facilities. The funding arrives as fusion companies push to complete their first demonstration reactors. CFS is preparing to switch on its Sparc reactor sometime next year, but a single machine serves mainly as a proof of concept. Companies aiming to build dozens of commercial plants will need durable power electronics and a dependable supply chain to support them. "Ultimately, that means a more capable, economical power plant and a stronger U.S. supply chain to build it," said Brandon Sorbom, co-founder and chief science officer at CFS. The award will support five specific initiatives. The first focuses on silicon carbide power electronics, which are used to manage high voltages in products ranging from LEDs to electric vehicles and data centers. In fusion machines, these semiconductors handle the intense bursts of electricity that drive the superconducting magnets confining plasma. Other efforts will target next-generation radio-frequency generators used to heat fusion fuel, as well as electronics that enable faster reactor control and are hardened against radiation. CFS stated that radiation-hardened components could extend the lifespan of parts inside a plant, potentially lowering operating costs. The final initiative involves adapting AI hardware, such as GPUs and TPUs, for use in power plants. "The funding would help improve the U.S. chip and power electronics industries at the same time it accelerates fusion energy's progress toward the electrical grid," Sorbom said. The agreement includes a provision giving the U.S. government a stake in CFS. While the award aims to strengthen domestic research and manufacturing, it remains to be seen how the development of these specialized components will impact the timeline for bringing fusion energy to the grid.