How Commonwealth Fusion Systems is Igniting a Clean Energy Revolution
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Discover how CFS accelerates clean, limitless fusion energy to combat the climate crisis. Learn about their SPARC project and mission to power humanity’s future.
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In the panel discussion “Fusion is the New F Word,” Kristen Berke, VP of Sales, Entertainment & Branded Content at LA Times Studios moderated a conversation with Joe Paluska, Chief Marketing Officer at Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Jennine Willett, Creative Director at Commonwealth Fusion Systems. The panel talked about how Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), an MIT spin-out, is leading the charge in commercial fusion energy.
The company is harnessing the power of the sun and stars through fusion, a clean, unlimited and safe energy source with no byproducts. Unlike fission which splits atoms, fusion combines two hydrogen molecules. While fusion has been around for over a century, recent advancements in material science and AI have made it possible.
CFS is building a machine called SPARC and plans to turn it on by 2027. SPARC uses powerful, high-temperature superconducting magnets, a technology first discovered by IBM in the 80s. These magnets are key to containing and controlling the superheated plasma—a state of matter above 100 million degrees Celsius—inside the machine to release massive energy.
The company’s culture is driven by a sense of mission, with a team of over 1,000 people including top scientists, engineers and skilled tradespeople from NASA and SpaceX. They are working 24/7 to achieve what was once considered the “holy grail” of energy.
CFS believes fusion energy is vital to addressing the global climate crisis, especially as current climate projections indicate humanity will surpass the 1.5-degree Celsius warming threshold sooner than anticipated. Their goal is to scale up production of magnets and power plants fast, just like during World War II when we faced an existential threat.
Beyond the tech, CFS is committed to making fusion energy understandable and public. Through the #PowerMoves campaign they say fusion is “humanity’s power move”—a big step for the planet. They want to mainstream climate tech and tell more creative and impactful stories to reach a wider audience, including young people, to inspire the next generation of engineers and physicists. CFS envisions a future where compact fusion power plants can be deployed everywhere, and energy can be democratized and resource conflicts resolved.