Google has committed to purchasing 200 megawatts of power from Commonwealth Fusion Systems' first commercial fusion power plant, expected to start operations in the early 2030s. Additionally, Google will make a second investment in the fusion technology leader. The financial details of this investment and power purchase agreement remain undisclosed.
Fusion technology aims to replicate the energy generation process of stars, offering a promising source of clean energy. Despite technical challenges, the potential for cheap, zero-carbon power has attracted interest from tech giants like Google, which need to expand their data centers to support cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) operations. The energy demands of AI have increased the difficulty of achieving climate goals.
Michael Terrell, head of Google's advanced energy department, emphasized the importance of accelerating clean energy solutions to meet future energy demands. The agreement with Commonwealth is considered a "long-term investment" in this context.
Commonwealth, originating from MIT, has raised over $2 billion, surpassing its competitors. It plans to build a demonstration device named "Sparc" by 2027 and a larger commercial version, "Arc," in the early 2030s. The partnership with Google underscores the market potential for fusion energy.
