Virginia will host the world’s first nuclear fusion power plant.

“Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), a fusion power company founded in 2018 in Cambridge, Mass., unveiled plans to build the groundbreaking facility on a 100-acre site at James River Industrial Park in Chesterfield County,” Virginia Mercury reports.

The plant, which could be operational by the early 2030s, is expected to generate enough electricity to power 150,000 homes.

“Commonwealth Fusion Systems plans on building the world’s first grid scale commercial fusion power plant in the world, full stop, and it’s going to be right here in the commonwealth of Virginia,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said during a presentation, according to Virginia Mercury.

“CFS will independently finance, build, own, and operate the grid-scale fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia,” a press release from Commonwealth Fusion Systems stated.

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“Dominion Energy Virginia will provide non-financial collaboration, including development and technical expertise as well as leasing rights for the proposed site,” it added.

“This is a historic moment. In the early 2030s, all eyes will be on the Richmond region and more specifically Chesterfield County, Virginia, as the birthplace of commercial fusion energy,” said Bob Mumgaard, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems.

“Virginia emerged as a strong partner as they look to implement innovative solutions for both reliable electricity and clean forms of power. We are pleased to collaborate with Dominion Energy,” he added.

Per Virginia Mercury:

Unlike traditional nuclear power plants that rely on fission, fusion replicates the energy-producing process of the sun, offering a cleaner and more sustainable power source. The project, which would occupy about 25 acres of the site, signals Virginia’s growing role in shaping future energy solutions.

The announcement comes as Virginia’s energy needs are surging, driven by the rapid growth of data centers that power big tech operations. These facilities consume enormous amounts of electricity and water to process and cool computer systems.

A report from the nonpartisan Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission (JLARC) released last week found that energy demand from data centers could triple from about 10,000 megawatts today to about 30,000 megawatts by 2040 if infrastructure, like new transmission lines, were already available.

Virginia’s two largest utilities, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company, are already exploring small modular nuclear reactors to meet rising energy demands, with Dominion also investing in offshore wind, solar and natural gas.

Commonwealth Fusion Systems stated:

The new ARC fusion power plant will support economic development and the clean energy goals of Virginia. The project is expected to generate billions of dollars in economic development in the region and create hundreds of jobs during the construction and long-term operation of the power plant. ARC will generate about 400 megawatts of electricity — enough energy to power large industrial sites or about 150,000 homes.

CFS is currently completing development of its fusion demonstration machine, SPARC, at its headquarters in Devens, Massachusetts. SPARC is expected to produce its first plasma in 2026 and net fusion energy shortly after, demonstrating for the first time a commercially relevant design that will produce more power than consumed. SPARC paves the way for ARC, which is expected to deliver power to the grid in the early 2030s.

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