How the U.S. is losing ground to China in nuclear fusion, as AI power needs surge
Summary
"The only working fusion power plants right now in the universe are stars," said Dennis Whyte, professor of nuclear science and engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Fusion reactions occur when hydrogen atoms reach extreme enough temperatures that they fuse together, forming a super-heated gas called plasma. Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a startup born out of MIT, has raised the most money, nearly $2 billion from the likes of Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Google. Washington-based Helion has raised $1 billion from investors like Open AIs Sam Altman and a highly ambitious deal with Microsoft to deliver fusion power to the grid by 2028. Shanghai-based fusion company Energy Singularity told CNBC in a statement that it "undoubtedly" benefits from Chinas "efficient supply chain."