Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces World’s First Commercial Fusion Power Plant

On December 17, 2024, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that Commonwealth Fusion Systems would be building the first grid-scale commercial fusion power plant in the world at Chesterfield County's James River Industrial Center. Commonwealth Fusion Systems developed out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has raised billions of dollars in capital, including a $15 million grant through the U.S. Department of Energy's Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program. The Virginia Department of Energy partnered with Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Chesterfield County, and Dominion Energy to secure the project. The Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Grant also provided a $1 million grant. For more information, see the official press release here.