Helion Energy starts construction on nuclear fusion plant to power Microsoft data centers
The site in Malaga, Washington, is in the center of the state along the Columbia River, where Helion hopes to take advantage of grid infrastructure in place for the nearby Rock Island Dam hydroelectric plant.
The startup still has to secure final permits from Washington's government but said the work puts it on track to sell power to Microsoft under a deal it struck in 2023.
Fusion generates electricity by ramming atoms into each other, releasing energy without emitting significant greenhouse gases or creating large amounts of long-lasting radioactive waste. But despite billions of dollars of investment, scientists and engineers still have not figured out a way to reliably generate more energy with fusion than it takes to create and sustain the reaction.
Helion is still working on how to do that with its current prototype, called Polaris, which is housed in Everett, Washington, where it plans to build components for the machine to be built at Malaga, called Orion.
Orion will connect to Washington's primary power delivery networks, David Kirtley, Helion's co-founder and CEO, told Reuters.
"We'll actually be able to connect to the exact same grid just upstream of the Microsoft data centers," Kirtley said.
Microsoft has for years said that nuclear energy should be part of a mix of carbon-free energy sources and has also signed power purchase agreements for conventional fission-based nuclear power. Fusion is a longer-term bet, said Melanie Nakagawa, Microsoft's chief sustainability officer.
"Over the last three, four years, you've been seeing from across the fusion space different types of milestones being met by other companies and peers, Helion included," Nakagawa told Reuters. "There's a lot of optimism that this could be the moment that fusion actually comes forward within this decade, or near in this decade."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Straits Times
Excitement, concern at send-off for S'pore's Columbia-bound freshmen amid US political uncertainty
The campus protests and recent political turmoil had no impact on their decision to apply to Columbia, a few freshmen told The Straits Times. SINGAPORE - The wide-eyed Ivy League prospects milled about, exchanging pleasantries and exuberant hellos at a Columbia University send-off for Singapore freshmen on Aug 2. But this year's iteration of the annual tradition, held at the function room of the Horizon Towers condominium in Leonie Hill, differed slightly from past editions. It took place in the wake of a much-publicised crackdown by the US government on the country's elite universities over accusations of anti-Semitic behaviour on campuses and bias in diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI) initiatives. This followed a wave of pro-Palestinian protests on US campuses in 2024, prompted by the outbreak of the Gaza war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023. For Columbia, negotiations with the Trump administration ended on July 23, with the school agreeing to pay more than US$200 million (S$255 million) to the US government as settlement, in exchange for the re-instatement of federal funding which had been cancelled in March. But the campus protests and recent political and financial turmoil had no impact on their decision to apply to the New York school, a few students told The Straits Times at the event organised by the Columbia Singapore Students Association (SSA). The event had about 15 attendees. One outgoing freshman, who did not wish to reveal her name, said: 'I believe that a lot of institutions have recently had massive protests. But at the end of the day, you get the same quality education, world-class professors, and opportunities. 'In the grand scheme of things, these events don't impact your education to a degree that you would think they do.' Another remained upbeat, saying: 'I'm excited but also nervous about the whole idea of going to college. It's about exposing yourself to new things, new people, new friends, new activities, and stepping outside your comfort zone.' In May, the Trump administration asked its overseas missions to cease scheduling fresh appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants. The move, said Reuters, came as the administration sought to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas as part of its wide-ranging efforts to fulfil the US leader's hardline immigration agenda. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Business Property 'decoupling' illegal if done solely to avoid taxes: High Court Singapore 60 years of building Singapore Part of those efforts also included tightening the vetting of foreign students' social media accounts in a bid to identify any who may pose a threat to the US' national security. Two freshmen told ST that they would be switching their Instagram accounts to 'public' before entering the US, to facilitate such checks. They added that they did not mind doing so. One SSA committee member who is a current Columbia student and did not wish to reveal his name, told ST that some of the matriculating students 'have shared some concerns, including visa and safety issues, and whether or not they may be able to express themselves freely'. He added that the club is hoping to support them as they navigate the transition to university abroad amid the current climate. Other American universities, including Duke University and several campuses in the University of California system, are still being investigated by the Trump administration. Even at Columbia, the environment remains somewhat cautious ahead of the new academic year which begins in September. The campus is gated and security forces are omnipresent, another SSA committee member who is also a current Columbia student, added. 'Most people know that the situation is very sensitive and tense,' he said. 'It's about juggling that tension, while still being at school and trying to live like a normal university student.'
CNA
16 hours ago
- CNA
Trump fires BLS commissioner, raising concerns about economic data quality
WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump fired the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on Friday (Aug 1) after data showed weaker-than-expected employment growth in July and massive downward revisions to the prior two months' job counts. Trump accused McEntarfer, who was appointed by former president Joe Biden, of faking the jobs numbers. There is no evidence to back Trump's claims of data manipulation by the BLS, the statistical agency that compiles the closely watched employment report, as well as consumer and producer price data. The US economy created only 73,000 jobs in July. Data for May and June were revised sharply down to show 258,000 fewer jobs created than had been previously reported. "We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. The BLS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. William Wiatrowski, the deputy commissioner, will serve as acting commissioner. The Trump administration's recent mass layoffs of federal government workers have raised concerns about the quality of US economic data, long seen as the gold standard. Economists, labour unions and Democratic Party leaders criticised the firing as an attempt by the Trump administration to manipulate data and warned of lasting damage to the economy. "The civil servants at BLS are not political actors. They are professionals committed to producing accurate, independent data, regardless of who is in power," said American Federation of Government Employees national president Everett Kelley. McEntarfer had worked in the federal government for more than two decades under multiple administrations, Kelley said. Trump-aligned Republicans were supportive of the BLS firing, calling McEntarfer a "Biden holdover". DATA CREDIBILITY NOW IN QUESTION "Politicising economic statistics is a self-defeating act," said Michael Madowitz, principal economist at the Roosevelt Institute's Roosevelt Forward. "Credibility is far easier to lose than rebuild, and the credibility of America's economic data is the foundation on which we've built the strongest economy in the world. Blinding the public about the state of the economy has a long track record, and it never ends well." Earlier this year, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick disbanded two expert committees that worked with the government to produce economic statistics. Lutnick has also floated the idea of stripping out government spending from the gross domestic product report, claiming "governments historically have messed with GDP". The BLS has already reduced the sample collection for consumer price data as well as the producer price report, citing resource constraints. The government surveys about 121,000 businesses and government agencies, representing approximately 631,000 individual worksites for the employment report. The response rate has declined from 80.3 per cent in October 2020 to about 67.1 per cent in July. "In my opinion, today's Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad," Trump wrote in another Truth Social post, without offering any evidence. Economists attributed the near-stall in job growth to Trump's trade and immigration policies. They said uncertainty about where Trump's tariff level would settle had made it difficult for businesses to plan long-term. More clarity has emerged as the White House has announced trade deals, but economists said the effective tariff rate was still the highest since the 1930s. Trump slapped dozens of trading partners with steep tariffs on Thursday, including a 35 per cent duty on many goods from Canada.
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
US Says China Trade Deal Within Reach After Stockholm Talks
WASHINGTON: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday (Aug 1) he believes Washington and Beijing are nearing a breakthrough trade deal following two days of negotiations in Stockholm. 'This week's negotiations in Stockholm have advanced our talks with China, and I believe that we have the makings of a deal that will benefit both of our great nations,' Bessent posted on social media platform X. The post was later deleted and reuploaded due to a technical error, according to a Treasury Department spokesperson. 'I am optimistic about the path forward,' Bessent added. The Treasury said the language of the post reflected what Bessent has consistently stated in recent interviews. Speaking to CNBC on Thursday, the secretary confirmed the US sees progress in talks but stressed that a deal is 'not 100% done.' Bessent told CNBC that US negotiators 'pushed back quite a bit' during the two-day talks, which aimed to iron out remaining differences following earlier frameworks agreed in May and June. China is facing a looming Aug 12 deadline to finalise a comprehensive tariff agreement with President Donald Trump's administration. Failure to do so could trigger a new round of punitive tariffs or other trade restrictions. The talks are aimed at halting a years-long tit-for-tat tariff battle and restoring stable economic ties between the world's two largest economies. Beijing's restrictions on rare earth mineral exports have been a particular point of contention in recent rounds. Bessent's tone of cautious optimism signals that Washington may be preparing to ease tensions, even as Trump maintains pressure through hard deadlines and aggressive tariff threats.
