The dream of harnessing nuclear fusion—the same process that powers the sun—is rapidly moving from science fiction to an imminent reality, with groundbreaking projects and a surge of investment accelerating the timeline toward commercial fusion energy. From the sun-drenched laboratories of Tucson, Arizona, to the cutting-edge facilities in Granada, Spain, and the bustling innovation hubs of Massachusetts and Virginia, fusion energy is no longer just a distant hope but a tangible technological revolution reshaping the global energy landscape.
In southern Spain, the European Union has recently confirmed a substantial funding boost of EUR202 million (approximately $236 million) to support the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility – DEMO-Oriented Neutron Source (IFMIF-DONES) project based in Granada. This funding covers about a quarter of the project's total budget and underpins the development of an advanced testing center designed to evaluate materials destined for future fusion reactors. As Bloomberg reported on July 16, 2025, Spain has taken the lead by guaranteeing necessary construction funds and establishing the legal framework, while Croatia contributes 5% of the funding. Italy and Japan have also affirmed their involvement and are defining their financial shares.
The IFMIF-DONES facility aims to simulate the punishing neutron bombardment conditions that materials will endure inside fusion reactors. Using a particle accelerator to generate a continuous deuteron (D+) beam aimed at a flowing liquid lithium target, the system produces neutron fluxes mimicking those in future reactors. This setup includes high-flux test modules housing samples for extended irradiation campaigns, with the accelerator capable of delivering a 125 mA beam accelerated up to 40 MeV onto a 25 mm thick lithium target flowing at 15 meters per second. The resulting data will establish a vital scientific database on material resistance, which is crucial for the design and validation of demonstration power plants under the European EUROfusion programme.
Marc Lachaise, Director of Fusion for Energy, emphasized the significance of Europe’s commitment: "Europe’s commitment demonstrates the will to support strategic technologies and to involve industry and research at the European level." The IFMIF-DONES Spain Consortium, formed in 2021 through collaboration between the Spanish government and the Andalusia region, coordinates the project with backing from the European Commission and Fusion for Energy (F4E). The symbolic laying of the first stone in May 2025 marked the official launch of this ambitious endeavor.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in Tucson, Arizona, the energy fusion renaissance is gathering momentum. Lukas Gruber, a business development executive at Leonardo Electronics US Inc., asserts that fusion energy is "within reach." This optimism is shared by University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella and Senior Vice President for Research Tomás Díaz de la Rubía, who highlight fusion as a potentially limitless source of clean energy with a rapidly accelerating commercialization timeline.
In an opinion piece published in The Hill in April 2025, Garimella and Díaz de la Rubía pointed to the pivotal 2022 breakthrough at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), where scientists achieved ignition—producing more energy from a fusion reaction than the laser energy used to trigger it. This milestone has been replicated multiple times, fueling investor confidence and sparking projections that fusion commercialization could boost global GDP by $68 trillion and spawn a trillion-dollar energy industry.
With support from the Arizona Board of Regents, the University of Arizona is positioning itself as a central player in advancing commercial fusion. Universities are uniquely suited to serve as impartial evaluators, provide essential testing facilities, and train the specialized workforce necessary to deploy fusion technologies and transform global energy systems. Gruber highlights Tucson’s unique ecosystem, noting, "Tucson is the right place at the right time for fusion breakthroughs, commercialization, and workforce development." The region boasts excellence in optics, materials science, and systems engineering, alongside a critical mass of industry leaders in laser diodes, optics, cooling systems, materials, and beam control.
Leonardo and the university are exploring the creation of a diode-pumped laser research and training facility. Leonardo’s Tucson site designs and manufactures high-power laser diode modules and operates under a U.S. Special Security Agreement, enabling participation in classified contracts and national security research. This proposed facility would not only provide scientists a testbed for emerging technologies but also offer hands-on training opportunities for future fusion specialists, akin to the University of Arizona’s San Xavier mine training site.
Díaz de la Rubía expressed his motivation succinctly: "A billion people still live in energy poverty, and our aging energy infrastructure can’t keep up with growing demand. Fusion energy was proven possible at Livermore, and the technologies are advancing faster than anyone expected. That’s enough to motivate me." Leonardo’s commitment to workforce development is evident through long-standing support for high school internships, undergraduate projects, applied manufacturing training, and university research collaborations.
On the commercial front, Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), based in Massachusetts, is leading the charge with its Tokamak Hall—a facility designed to house a donut-shaped tokamak device that heats deuterium and tritium to 100 million degrees Celsius to initiate fusion reactions. CFS’s key innovation lies in manufacturing giant magnets made of high-temperature superconducting tape, which stabilize the superheated fuel within the tokamak. CEO Bob Mumgaard remarked, "If you built something that can produce 1% of energy, you've built the largest company in the world." Their SPARC facility aims to deliver net energy production by 2027, with a commercial fusion power plant planned for the early 2030s in Virginia.
Former U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, now on the board of fusion company TAE Technologies, expressed confidence that fusion conditions can be demonstrated within this decade, potentially making fusion the dominant energy source. Regulatory progress supports this optimism: in 2023, federal authorities streamlined the licensing process for fusion reactors, treating them more like particle accelerators rather than traditional nuclear fission plants—a decision later codified into law. This regulatory shift contrasts with skepticism voiced by some, such as former EPA head Andrew Wheeler, who doubted commercial fusion’s viability within 20 years.
The economics of fusion energy appear promising. Fuel sources like deuterium and tritium can be derived from seawater and lithium, offering abundant and cheap inputs. However, infrastructure financing remains a significant cost. CFS anticipates profitable fusion energy at $100 per megawatt-hour (MWh) and envisions global dominance if costs fall to $50 per MWh. The company’s approach emphasizes speed and adaptability, hiring broadly across related fields and leveraging existing supply chains to accelerate development.
Tech giants like Google and Microsoft, eager to secure clean power for their growing AI data centers, have already signed preliminary agreements to purchase fusion power, including a deal between Google and CFS in June 2025. These "hyperscalers" represent a new class of fusion investors, recognizing the transformative potential of the technology. Globally, fusion investment exceeds $7 billion, spread across over 45 private companies, with CFS alone raising more than $2 billion.
China is also intensifying its state-backed fusion efforts, adding a geopolitical dimension to the fusion race. Senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the U.S. Intelligence Committee, noted China’s early investment approach, emphasizing the strategic importance of fusion commercialization. This global competition underscores the urgency for policymakers and industry leaders to prepare for the profound disruptions fusion energy may bring.
Despite the excitement, challenges remain. The energy sector plans on long timelines, and the arrival of commercial fusion could render soon-to-be-built power plants obsolete, turning them into stranded assets. Grid infrastructure designed for current energy mixes may require costly retrofitting to integrate fusion power. Regulatory frameworks, historically tailored to fossil fuels and renewables, will need fundamental rethinking.
Ultimately, fusion energy promises clean, virtually limitless power that could reshape global energy markets, reduce conflicts tied to resource scarcity, and accelerate the fight against climate change. As the fusion timeline accelerates, the world faces a critical juncture: to embrace this transformative technology and prepare for its sweeping consequences or risk being caught unready when fusion finally arrives.
