In a bold step toward powering its future operations with clean energy, Google has signed a landmark agreement with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to purchase 200 megawatts (MW) of electricity from CFS’s first commercial fusion power plant, expected to go online in the early 2030s.
This is Google’s first commercial commitment to fusion energy — and a major signal that the tech giant sees fusion as a viable part of the clean energy mix. The agreement also gives Google the option to offtake power from future ARC plants, extending the partnership well beyond the initial project.
The ARC plant, to be built in Chesterfield County, Virginia, is expected to be the world’s first grid-scale fusion power plant, delivering a groundbreaking source of 24/7, carbon-free electricity.
“By entering into this agreement with CFS, we hope to help prove out and scale a promising pathway toward commercial fusion power,” said Michael Terrell, Head of Advanced Energy at Google. “We’re excited to make this longer-term bet on a technology with transformative potential to meet the world’s future energy demand, and support CFS in their efforts to reach the scientific and engineering milestones needed to get there.”
Google has backed CFS since 2021 and is now increasing its investment stake in the Massachusetts-based company, further deepening its role in supporting the path to commercial fusion.
Fusion energy — the process that powers the sun — produces clean energy by fusing hydrogen atoms into helium, releasing massive amounts of heat without long-lived radioactive waste or carbon emissions. It has no fuel limitations and could provide reliable, on-demand power at scale — a perfect match for the energy-hungry future being shaped by AI, electrification, and global digitalization.
CFS’ approach to fusion is rooted in its use of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets, which enable smaller, more efficient fusion machines. Its current project, SPARC, under construction in Devens, Massachusetts, is a compact tokamak designed to demonstrate net energy gain (Q > 1) — a key milestone on the path to commercial power. ARC, the follow-on to SPARC, is designed to generate 400 MW of net electricity — the equivalent of a utility-scale gas plant.
“Fusion power is within our grasp thanks in part to forward-thinking partners like Google, a recognized technology pioneer across industries,” said Bob Mumgaard, CEO and Co-founder of CFS. “We aim to demonstrate fusion’s ability to provide reliable, abundant, clean energy at the scale needed to unlock economic growth and improve modern living – and enable what will be the largest market transition in history.”
The deal represents a major vote of confidence in fusion’s future — and a new era of clean energy partnerships.
