A new fusion joint is coming to Virginia

…and it has nothing to do with food. On Tuesday, startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems announced plans to build the world’s first grid-scale nuclear fusion power plant outside of Richmond by the early 2030s.

• Commonwealth, one of the world’s largest and most-hyped nuclear fusion companies, says it will make a multibillion-dollar investment in a facility that will eventually supply 400 megawatts of power, or enough for ~150,000 homes.

Driving the move: Nuclear fusion, aka the smashing of two atoms together to produce one, is widely considered the holy grail of energy production. The method promises essentially limitless amounts of clean energy – but without the Chernobyl downside of fission.

• On a pound-for-pound basis, fusion generates nearly 4 million times more energy than coal, oil, or gas. It’s also how the sun generates 100% of its power.

✋ But…Commonwealth is like a hiker prepping for a climb – facing an uphill battle. The startup still has several major boxes to check before its new fusion plant can be plugged into Virginia’s power grid, including developing a fusion reactor that results in net-positive energy production, which has never been achieved on a commercial scale.