Fun with fusion

Welcome back to The Strawman, the daily climate newsletter that’s like a kid in a candy store. We’re excited and here to put a smile on your face.

Today, we’re diving into the world of fusion energy - specifically, a new partnership that Microsoft’s made with an exciting startup called Helion.

Let’s dive in.

What is fusion anyways?

You know that big yellow thing in the sky keeping us warm? No, don’t look at it, you’ll burn your eyes.

That’s right - we’re talking about the sun. The thing that keeps that sun ticking along? Fusion.

Like it’s better known cousin, nuclear fission (what people talk about when they refer to nuclear energy!), fusion involves using small bits of matter to release huge amounts of energy.

In the case of fusion, it involves merging two light atoms (like hydrogen) at blazing hot temperatures to form a heavier atom, which in turn releases oodles of energy.

We’ve spent over 50 years dreaming about fusion, and abundant energy for all.

See, unlike fission, fusion doesn’t have long-lasting radioactive waste. Sounds fantastic, doesn't it?

Well, over 30 companies and government labs agree - and they’re racing to unlock this treasure, with around $5 billion of private funding backing their efforts.

A Peek into Helion's Fusion Plans and Progress

Leading this race seems to be Helion Energy, a private US-based fusion company, is on a quest to bring fusion power to our very own backyard. They're aiming to have a plant online by 2028 and are targeting a power generation of 50 megawatts or greater after a one-year ramp-up period. To put that into perspective, just one megawatt can light up about 1,000 US homes on a typical day!

Helion's seventh-generation machine, Polaris, should be operational next year and is designed to showcase electricity generation through fusion using pulsed high-power magnet technologies.

What makes Helion unique is how they fuel their reactions - using a version of Helium, rather than Hydrogen which is what most others are using. With over $570 million in private capital raised (and a sweet $375 million from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman), there’s a lot of money backing this to be the right horse.

Microsoft and Sam Altman

In a groundbreaking move, Microsoft has teamed up with Helion Energy to secure fusion-generated electricity for their facilities.

Wait - why is Microsoft partnering with a fusion company?

Well, Sam Altman likely had something to do with it. Given the ever closer relationship he has with Microsoft with all the investment they’re doing into OpenAI, the opportunity to benefit Helion (where he’s executive chariman) likely came up. Talk about a win-win.

According to Andrew Holland, head of the Fusion Industry Association, "The business world is starting to understand that fusion is coming, and perhaps sooner than a lot of people thought." Microsoft's partnership with Helion is a testament to the growing belief in fusion's potential and a sign that the future of clean energy might be brighter than ever.

That’s it for today folks - we’ll see you again tomorrow.

The Strawman