Two companies are working to bring fusion-generated electricity to the grid, moving the technology from research to commercial application. Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) is developing SPARC, a demonstration fusion machine, which is intended to pave the way for its first commercial power plant, ARC.
CFS applied to PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. wholesale electricity market, in April, a necessary step towards eventually connecting ARC to the grid. In July, the company secured an additional $1 billion in funding, increasing its total funding to $4 billion.
Separately, Helion is developing Orion, a 50-megawatt fusion power plant. This plant is intended to supply electricity to Microsoft as early as 2028. In February, Helion announced that its Polaris prototype had heated plasma to 150 million degrees Celsius. The company also announced a key regulatory milestone in June for building and operating the plant, and its Series G funding round closed at $500 million in September.
CFS co-founder and chief science officer Brandon Sorbom and Helion founder and CEO David Kirtley are scheduled to discuss these developments at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, taking place from October 13–15 in San Francisco.