Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) announced Thursday that it will receive an $85 million grant from the U.S. government to create advanced chips for the emerging fusion‑power sector. The company, which plans to power up its SPARC reactor next year, sees the funding as a step beyond a single demonstration device toward the larger goal of commercial fusion plants. To scale up, startups will need tougher power electronics and a reliable domestic supply chain.
The award comes from the Department of Commerce under the CHIPS Act and also gives the government an ownership stake in CFS. “Ultimately, that means a more capable, economical power plant and a stronger U.S. supply chain to build it,” Brandon Sorbom, co‑founder and chief science officer at CFS, wrote in a blog post.
CFS will allocate the money across five initiatives. First, it will push forward silicon‑carbide power electronics, which handle high voltages and are already used in LEDs, electric vehicles, cellular base stations and data centers, as well as in fusion reactors to drive the superconducting magnets that confine plasma. Second, the company will develop next‑generation radio‑frequency power generators that heat the fusion fuel. Third, it will create advanced electronics that allow faster reactor control and are hardened against radiation, a move that could lengthen component lifespans and cut operating costs. Fourth, part of the funding will support the adaptation of 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 added.
The grant is intended to boost both research and manufacturing capacity for semiconductors in the United States, helping to lay the groundwork for a future where fusion‑derived electricity can be delivered at scale.
*Tim De Chant, senior climate reporter at TechCrunch, contributed to this story.*