This Week’s Fusion News: June 27, 2025
Things You Gotta Know
Things You Gotta Know
Wisconsin Passes Pro-Fusion Legislation to Attract Nuclear Innovation
The Wisconsin Assembly has passed a bipartisan package of bills to advance nuclear fusion development, including a 2028 nuclear summit and a siting study for potential power plants. Lawmakers aim to position the state as a future leader in fusion by supporting startups and university-led research. Companies like Realta Fusion and the WHAM project at UW–Madison are already active in-state.
Fusion Fuel Cycles Publishes Key Tools to Advance Tritium Infrastructure
Fusion Fuel Cycles has published two foundational papers detailing its Fusion Fuel Cycle Simulator (FFCSim) and UNITY-2 test facility. FFCSim offers dynamic, modular modeling of tritium-based fuel cycles. UNITY-2 is slated for commissioning in 2026 at Chalk River and will serve as the first fully integrated fusion fuel cycle system. Together, they aim to bridge a key commercialization gap for pilot fusion plants by enabling data-rich testing and optimization of tritium handling systems.
New York Commits to Building First Large U.S. Nuclear Plant in Over 15 Years
Governor Kathy Hochul has directed the New York Power Authority to develop at least 1 GW of new nuclear capacity, citing reliability, cost, and emissions-free energy needs. The facility may involve partnerships with private companies and could include small modular reactors or expansions at existing sites like Nine Mile Point. The announcement comes amid rising energy demands from AI data centers and follows recent executive orders aimed at accelerating U.S. nuclear project permitting.
Dutch Researchers Use Engineering to Tame Fusion’s Heat Exhaust Challenge
Researchers at the Dutch institute DIFFER demonstrated that advanced control engineering can manage fusion reactor heat exhaust without requiring complete plasma physics knowledge. During experiments at JET, they fine-tuned gas flow to maintain “detachment,” a state that prevents reactor wall damage. AI-trained surrogate models are now being developed to predict fusion system behavior in real time, a promising path for next-gen reactors like SPARC, STEP, and ITER.
Livermore Could Host New Fusion Research Facility Proposed by Pacific Fusion
Bay Area startup Pacific Fusion has proposed building a dedicated fusion energy research facility on a 12–15-acre site near Livermore Municipal Airport. The project would not produce electricity but would support scientific R&D, adding to Livermore’s legacy as a fusion hub. The facility is expected to create around 250 jobs and comply with California’s health and safety regulations. A public town hall is scheduled to address community questions.
AI Data Centers: Driving Battery Technologies That Could Be Useful Beyond Powering Servers
BY MICHAEL HEUMANN
As AI data centers strain the grid, their demand is accelerating innovation in safer, scalable battery storage. Organic flow batteries are a low-cost, nonflammable alternative to lithium-ion, now being tested for both data infrastructure and grid-scale deployment. Could this old idea create a new breakthrough?
If Electric Vehicles Go Away, Is Fusion Energy Still Important???
BY MICHAEL HEUMANN
With U.S. EV sales softening under Trump 2.0, some are questioning fusion’s long-term relevance. Fusion’s role in global energy resilience remains essential from powering data centers to electrifying fast-growing economies. This article explores how shifting demand drivers are reshaping fusion’s strategic value.
