Fusion power on the grid

How far are we from fusion power on the grid?

Fusion gain has been shown in a laser experiment: at the National Ignition Facility in December 2022, 2.05 MJ delivered to a fuel target gave 3.15 MJ of fusion energy. No fusion plant has yet sent net electricity to a grid, and the machines meant to test net energy in magnetic confinement are still under construction or planned.

AI illustration · Illustrative scene, not a photograph of the specific device or experiment.
WHERE WE AREScience demonstrated

Far away. The science works, but nobody has built a working system yet.

Scientific gain has been demonstrated in a laser-driven experiment. At the National Ignition Facility in December 2022, 2.05 MJ delivered to the target produced 3.15 MJ of fusion energy, as announced in a release from the US Department of Energy and its National Nuclear Security Administration. That result counts energy on the target, not electricity sent to a grid. In magnetic confinement, the JET tokamak set a record of 69 MJ over 5 seconds in its final experiments, announced in February 2024, but JET was a research machine and did not generate electricity. No device has yet shown net electrical output, and the Google power purchase agreement with Commonwealth Fusion Systems is anchored in SPARC first reaching Q>1 (net fusion energy).

The tech tree

Everything recorded on Vrulum that this future needs, oldest foundations at the top and the goal at the bottom. Lines show what each step requires.

What it takes: Fusion power on the grid Unlocked Being researched Locked
  1. 2022Fusion energyResearch and prototypes Being researched.
  1. 2022Fusion gain shown in a laser experimentDone Unlocked.
  2. 2024Record fusion energy in a magnetic tokamakDone Unlocked.
  3. Date not recordedNet energy gain in a magnetic device (Q>1)In progress Being researched.
  4. Date not recordedITER research operationIn progress Being researched.
  5. Date not recordedPilot plant with net electrical outputNot started Locked.
  6. Date not recordedFirst commercial plant feeding a gridNot started Locked.
  7. Date not recordedFusion power widespread on electricity gridsNot started Locked.
  1. GoalFusion power on the gridGoalRequires: Fusion energy, Fusion gain shown in a laser experiment, Record fusion energy in a magnetic tokamak, Net energy gain in a magnetic device (Q>1), ITER research operation, Pilot plant with net electrical output, First commercial plant feeding a grid, Fusion power widespread on electricity grids. Locked.

The road so far

2 of 7 steps done, 2 in progress.

  1. Done · Dec 2022Fusion gain shown in a laser experiment

    At the National Ignition Facility, 2.05 MJ delivered to the target produced 3.15 MJ of fusion energy. [1]

  2. Done · Feb 2024Record fusion energy in a magnetic tokamak

    JET produced a record 69 MJ with high fusion power sustained for 5 seconds, using about 0.2 mg of fuel. The record came from JET's final experiments, and EUROfusion and UKAEA announced it. [2]

  3. In progressNet energy gain in a magnetic device (Q>1)

    SPARC, from Commonwealth Fusion Systems, is designed to reach Q>1, meaning fusion output above heating input. Sources reviewed show this target as not yet achieved. [5]

  4. In progressITER research operation

    The 2024 ITER baseline starts research operation with hydrogen and deuterium-deuterium plasmas, reaches full magnetic energy in 2036 and starts deuterium-tritium operation in 2039. The delay adds about 5 billion euros to the cost. [3][4]

  5. Not startedPilot plant with net electrical output

    The US Department of Energy roadmap aims to support fusion pilot plants and commercial fusion power in the mid-2030s. The roadmap says this is contingent on future public-private partnerships and future Congressional appropriations. [6]

  6. Not startedFirst commercial plant feeding a grid

    Commonwealth Fusion Systems plans its ARC plant at Chesterfield County, Virginia, with a 200 MW power purchase agreement from Google. The company expects power on the grid in the early 2030s, tied to SPARC reaching Q>1. [5]

  7. Not startedFusion power widespread on electricity grids

    No source reviewed shows fusion supplying a share of grid electricity. Widespread use would need several plants built, licensed and operated.

Why it matters

Fusion could give a large supply of low-carbon electricity that does not depend on weather, and it produces no long-lived fission waste. Whether it reaches homes depends on engineering problems that are not yet solved, including materials that survive neutron bombardment, a reliable fuel cycle and plants that run for long periods. Public dates for fusion milestones have moved, including ITER's 2024 baseline, so the record of completed milestones is a better guide than any single target year.

What stands in the way

  • Materials for the reactor walls and structure must withstand heat and neutron damage over long periods, and the DOE roadmap calls for work to close fusion materials and technology gaps.
  • No source reviewed shows the fuel cycle, including breeding tritium in blanket systems, working at plant scale.
  • Plant engineering and integration of the heating, magnets, cooling and power conversion have not been tested as a full power plant.
  • Net gain has not yet been shown in a magnetic device; SPARC's Q>1 target is still ahead.
  • Cost and funding are unsettled: the ITER delay adds about 5 billion euros, and DOE says its roadmap does not commit it to funding levels.

Published forecasts

What others have predicted. These are their estimates, not ours.

WhoForecastTimeframeMade
ITER OrganizationStart of deuterium-tritium operation in 2039, four years later than the 2016 reference. [3]20393 Jul 2024
Commonwealth Fusion SystemsARC plant expected to put power on the grid in the early 2030s, conditional on SPARC achieving Q>1. [5]2030–203330 Jun 2025
US Department of EnergyRoadmap aims to support fusion pilot plants and commercial fusion power in the mid-2030s. [6]2034–20369 Jun 2026

Signals to watch

  • SPARC reports Q>1 in a peer-reviewed paper or an independently checked company result.
  • ITER announces assembly milestones against its 2024 baseline on schedule.
  • ARC plant gains permits and a construction start at the Chesterfield County site.
  • Blanket modules that breed tritium are tested in a working machine.
  • US fusion roadmap milestones receive funding through appropriations.

Sources

  1. news
    US researchers achieve historic fusion ignition
    World Nuclear News, 13 Dec 2022.
  2. news
    New world record set in JET's final fusion experiments
    World Nuclear News, 9 Feb 2024.
  3. other
    New baseline to prioritize robust start to exploitation
    ITER Organization, 3 Jul 2024.
  4. news
    ITER fusion reactor hit by massive decade-long delay and €5bn price hike
    Michael Banks. Physics World, 3 Jul 2024.
  5. company announcement
    Google and Commonwealth Fusion Systems Sign Strategic Partnership
    Commonwealth Fusion Systems, 30 Jun 2025.
  6. government report
    Energy Department Releases Finalized Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap to Accelerate Commercial Fusion Power
    US Department of Energy, 9 Jun 2026.

Last reviewed 21 Oct 2026.