What is nuclear fusion — and can it power WA’s data centers?

Microsoft is partnering with Everett-based startup Helion to power its data centers with nuclear fusion by 2028, aiming to address the high energy demands of artificial intelligence. Helion broke ground on its Chelan County, Washington, facility last summer, with the ambition of creating the world's first commercial fusion power plant. Helion's approach, which has garnered about $1 billion in investments including from prominent tech figures like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, involves using electromagnets to directly capture electricity from fusion reactions, a method CEO David Kirtley claims is significantly more efficient than traditional steam turbines. This allows for smaller, cheaper reactors. While nuclear experts like Paul Wilson from the University of Wisconsin-Madison acknowledge the potential of fusion as a clean, continuous energy source to solve global energy and climate crises, they express skepticism regarding Microsoft and Helion's ambitious timeline. Other companies, such as Commonwealth Fusion Systems, are also racing to develop fusion power, with their Virginia facility targeting net-positive electricity by the early 2030s, half of which is slated for Google. Despite having generated fusion reactions and recently reaching 150 million degrees Celsius, Helion still needs to consistently hit higher temperatures (250-300 million degrees) for commercial operation and build extensive infrastructure within two years. Experts note Helion's limited publication of scientific results compared to competitors like Commonwealth Fusion Systems, which has shared peer-reviewed modeling.