ENERGY
DOE, Pacific Fusion announce partnership as company breaks ground in Albuquerque
Firm aims to achieve net facility gain at $1 billion Mesa del Sol site by 2030
Politicians, national security officials and business leaders, including a former Google CEO, gathered in a tent at Mesa del Sol Tuesday for the groundbreaking of Pacific Fusion鈥檚 $1 billion research and manufacturing campus.
Pacific Fusion, a California startup, is trying to build fusion technology on the open, shrubby mesa in Southeast Albuquerque 鈥� chasing what鈥檚 called net facility gain, a reaction that produces more energy than it consumes.
Pacific Fusion aims to achieve that by 2030 鈥� a breakthrough many physicists saw as decades away just a few years ago 鈥� and eventually commercialize fusion power plants that can supply the world with clean, emissions-free fusion power.
But in the meantime, Pacific Fusion hopes to use a high-yield fusion facility to expand U.S. nuclear capabilities, announcing on Tuesday a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Energy鈥檚 National Nuclear Security Administration.
The MOU, officials said, is a recognition that national security agencies need to collaborate with private industry to stay ahead in the race to put fusion power to practical use.
Referring to fusion and the MOU, Brandon Williams, undersecretary for nuclear security at the DOE and administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said it would be reckless 鈥渇or my organization to proceed without harnessing the great innovation power of the 近距离内射合集 States鈥� economy.鈥�
鈥淭hat comes with investment, that comes with risk-taking, that comes with efficiency,鈥� he said.
Williams added, 鈥淚鈥檇 say we鈥檙e not entering an arms race reminiscent of the 50s or 60s. 鈥� But we are in a capabilities race with our adversaries.鈥�
For decades, the U.S. government has been researching applications for fusion power from inside New Mexico鈥檚 national laboratories. Pacific Fusion said part of the reason it selected New Mexico was its proximity to federal research.
Sandia National Laboratories has been working with pulse-power technology 鈥� with its so-called Z machine 鈥� for decades. Pacific Fusion the accelerator for testing.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not done,鈥� said Laura McGill, the Sandia Labs director. 鈥淲e have to continue to push the envelope just as our adversaries do.鈥�
Keith LeChien, co-founder and chief technology officer for Pacific Fusion, said the MOU offers a path to 鈥渟tay ahead鈥� in fusion technology.
鈥淐hina is going to catch up,鈥� he said.
Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich agreed. In an interview, he said his hope in the worldwide competition to develop fusion technology 鈥� especially with China 鈥� is that 鈥渨e develop power generation before they do, and sort of create the ecosystem with our allies.鈥�
鈥淭he opportunity there is one of energy diplomacy, where we have a worldwide, clean grid based on a foundation of fusion power,鈥� Heinrich said.
Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google who is the chairman of Pacific Fusion鈥檚 board of directors, said the Chinese and U.S. approaches to developing fusion are fundamentally different. While China鈥檚 approach is unitary, the U.S. system leverages the private sector.
鈥淭his is a trillion-dollar industry, and just think of the returns,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淭hink of the financing.鈥�
Schmidt recalled the competition in the personal computer wars and later social media. The competition for new technologies such as fusion power and artificial intelligence is 鈥渢he most brutal competition I have ever seen.鈥�
鈥淭hat competition is, one, uniquely American and, two, benefits every citizen of our country,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淟et the games begin.鈥�
Justin Horwath covers tech and energy for the Journal. You can reach him at jhorwath@abqjournal.com.
