Britain clears Jackdaw gas drilling after emissions review
The government forecasts an 11-year operating life and a £2.9 billion economic contribution, while opponents question benefits for household bills.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems to receive $85 million for fusion chip development
The CHIPS Act award from the Department of Commerce will also give the U.S. government a stake in the company.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) said it would receive $85 million in U.S. government funding to develop semiconductors for fusion power. The company said the CHIPS Act award would support domestic chip research and manufacturing capacity while granting the government an ownership stake.
The funding will support five initiatives, including work on silicon carbide power electronics. These components manage high voltages and are used in fusion machines to deliver intense electrical bursts to superconducting magnets, which keep plasma confined within the reactor.
CFS also plans to develop a new generation of radio-frequency generators to heat fusion fuel, along with electronics that allow quicker reactor control and can withstand radiation. Radiation-resistant components could last longer inside a fusion plant, helping lower operating costs. Some of the award will go toward adapting AI hardware, including GPUs and TPUs, for power plants.
Brandon Sorbom, CFS co-founder and chief science officer, said the funding would help advance fusion toward supplying the electrical grid while strengthening U.S. chip and power electronics industries. He said the work would also support a more economical plant and a stronger domestic supply chain.