Pacific Fusion
| Pacific Fusion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Fusion power |
| Founded | 2023 |
| Founders | Keith LeChien Carrie von Muench Will Regan Eric Lander Leland Ellison |
| Headquarters | , |
| Website | pacificfusion |
Pacific Fusion is an American energy company focused on developing fusion-based power sources,[1] using a pulser-driven approach to high-yield, high-gain inertial fusion.[2][3][4][5] The company uses an advanced pulsed power driver known as the impedance-matched Marx generator (IMG), which was co-invented by Pacific Fusion's chief technology officer, Keith LeChien.[6][non-primary source needed]
Background
[edit]Pacific Fusion was co-founded in 2023 by Will Regan, Keith LeChien, Eric Lander, Carrie von Muench, and Leland Ellison.[7] Pacific Fusion's founding chief executive officer is Eric Lander.[3] The company is pursuing pulser-driven inertial confinement fusion, a process that aims to achieve high-gain fusion by using fast-rising electrical current pulses to electromagnetically compress small containers of deuterium-tritium fuel (e.g., MagLIF).[2][3][4][5]
History
[edit]In 2024, Pacific Fusion raised approximately $900 million in Series A funding led by General Catalyst, which included participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Citadel founder Ken Griffin, Stripe co-founder Patrick Collison, venture capitalist John Doerr, and Microsoft’s head of consumer AI business, Mustafa Suleyman. The company’s funding will be provided in stages upon meeting pre-determined milestones. Patrick Collison, General Catalyst partner Hemant Taneja, and former Google chief executive officer Eric Schmidt all joined the company’s board of directors.[1]
In September 2025, Pacific Fusion selected Mesa del Sol in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the location for its $1 billion research and manufacturing facility. The facility will house the company’s Demonstration System, which has the goal of achieving net facility gain, or generating more fusion energy output from a reaction than the amount of energy required to drive the system.[13] Pacific Fusion partnered with local universities to create training programs specific to its workforce, as its new campus is expected to add 200 permanent jobs and approximately 1,000 construction jobs.[14]
In December 2025, Pacific Fusion's first build center opened in Los Lunas, New Mexico. The site will build the components required for the company's fusion system.[15] Pacific Fusion’s headquarters and its research and development centers remain based in California.[16]
In February 2026, Pacific Fusion announced the results from a series of experiments performed at the Sandia National Laboratories, demonstrating a modified target design that simplifies the company's fusion targets and the maintenance requirements of its fusion system.[5]
In June 2026, Pacific Fusion announced it had achieved its second set of technical milestones related to its fusion system, demonstrating that a scaled module prototype delivered more than 440 GW of peak output power and approximately 1.1 MV peak voltage in ultra-fast pulses, delivering the "performance required to ultimately drive fusion conditions".[17]
In August 2026, the company broke ground on a billion dollar facility in the Mesa del Sol master-planned community of Albuquerque.[18]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 McBridge, Sarah (25 October 2024). "Nuclear Startup Pacific Fusion Nabs $900 Million in Funding". Bloomberg.
- 1 2 Nathan Meezan (July 9, 2025). "Affordable, manageable, practical, and scalable high-yield and high-gain inertial fusion" (PDF). Pacific Fusion. p. 1,7 – via ARPA-E, U.S. Department of Energy.
PF's approach is Pulser IFE (MagLIF)...
- 1 2 3 Levy, Steven (25 October 2024). "A High-Profile Geneticist Is Launching a Fusion-Power Moonshot". Wired.
- 1 2 Rodriguez, Kenn (18 December 2025). "Los Lunas, Pacific Fusion celebrate opening manufacturing hub". Valencia County News Bulletin.
- 1 2 3 De Chant, Tim (5 February 2026). "Pacific Fusion finds a cheaper way to make its fusion reactor work". TechCrunch.
- ↑ "Written Testimony of Will Regan, Ph.D. Before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; Energy Subcommittee" (PDF). www.house.gov. United States House of Representatives. 18 September 2025.
- ↑ "What's different about Pacific Fusion's pulsed magnetic concept?". NuclearNewswire. 30 October 2024.
- ↑ Garcia, Hannah (26 September 2025). "Pacific Fusion chooses Albuquerque for $1 billion nuclear fusion site". Albuquerque Journal.
- ↑ Council, Stephen (30 September 2025). "2 Bay Area cities tried to woo a cutting-edge company. It chose New Mexico instead". SFGate.
- ↑ Barron, Jessica (September 2025). "Billion dollar fusion facility coming to Albuquerque's Mesa del Sol". Albuquerque, New Mexico: KRQE.
- ↑ Fjeld, Jonathan (26 September 2025). "Albuquerque selected for $1B fusion energy research facility". KOB4.
- ↑ Lim, Dawn; Pashankar, Sana (11 March 2026). "Wealth Fund Bets It Can Turn the New Mexico Desert Into an Advanced Tech Hub". Bloomberg.
- ↑ [8][9][10][11][12]
- ↑ Jones, Jesse (26 September 2025). "Exclusive: Pacific Fusion on why they chose ABQ for $1 billion fusion research campus". City Desk ABQ.
- ↑ Garcia, Hannah (16 December 2025). "Pacific Fusion officially lands in New Mexico, launching Los Lunas build center". Albuquerque Journal.
- ↑ Reichbach, Matthew (26 September 2025). "Albuquerque lands massive fusion power project, beating out California for $1B investment". Albuquerque Business Journal.
- ↑ Proctor, Darrell (2 June 2026). "Pacific Fusion Touts Funding, Technical Achievements on Way to Fusion Power". Power Magazine.
- ↑ Ben Schlittler (August 25, 2026). "Groundbreaking held for nuclear fusion facility in New Mexico". Albuquerque: KRQE.
