Pacific Fusion begins construction on $1B New Mexico facility

American startup Pacific Fusion has commenced construction on a $1 billion manufacturing and research facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The project aims to advance commercial nuclear fusion by demonstrating ‘net facility gain’—a milestone where a fusion system produces more energy than the total electrical energy required to operate the entire plant.

Unlike previous experiments that only measured energy hitting the fuel capsule, Pacific Fusion utilizes pulsed-power inertial confinement. This method discharges intense electrical current bursts directly into a target to create magnetic pressure and compress fuel. The company intends to test a new type of pulsed-power machine by 2030, with the long-term goal of having an operational commercial power plant by the mid-2030s.

Co-founder and COO Carrie von Muench noted that no comparable site is currently under construction in the United States. The technology builds upon decades of research from national laboratories, including Sandia, Los Alamos, and Lawrence Livermore. The company aims to convert scientific breakthroughs into industrial infrastructure to strengthen energy leadership and national security.