New alliance bets big on tech that could transform how we power homes and cities: 'More efficient than all of them'

A new Midwest alliance is betting big on technology that could transform how we power everything from our homes to our cities. 

As The Daily Cardinal reported, the Great Lakes Fusion Energy Alliance is bringing together nuclear engineering companies and manufacturers — with plans to include researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders — to accelerate one of the most promising clean energy breakthroughs: nuclear fusion.

Fusion — the same process that powers the sun — occurs when small atomic particles collide under extreme pressure and temperature, releasing an enormous amount of clean energy in the process. 

Unlike nuclear fission, fusion doesn't create long-lasting radioactive waste and carries no risk of meltdown. Fusion could produce four times more energy per kilogram than fission and nearly four million times more than dirty energy sources like oil or coal, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. 

Fusion energy has the potential to generate enormous amounts of power using very little land, offering a steady "always-on" alternative to solar and wind. That makes it ideal for powering energy-intensive systems like data centers, manufacturing, and urban infrastructure — helping cities and companies avoid high energy prices and unreliable grids.

"With data centers and ever-growing energy consumption, we don't have enough power in the energy density of some of the technologies that I grew up with," Aaron Washington, a technical project manager at Tokamak Energy, said on a panel at the event. "Fusion is more efficient than all of them."

Fusion would also help reduce pollution. By slashing our dependence on coal, oil, and gas, fusion would cut down on pollution tied to asthma, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. It could also help the U.S. reach its climate targets without compromising on power supply.

But fusion still faces hurdles, especially in affordably scaling for the commercial market. However, with government and private investment on the rise, that future seems within reach. 

"Every time we meet a milestone, we get a little closer," said University of Wisconsin-Madison's Chris Hegna. "And the skeptics go a little further away."

The alliance includes players like Realta Fusion, SHINE Technologies, Tokamak Energy, and Fusion Fuel Cycles, alongside manufacturers like Strohwig Industries and Paragon D&E. 

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These groups are "connecting the dots" between research and commercialization. Realta, for instance, is developing a compact fusion device that could cut costs by using fewer magnets — making commercial reactors easier to build and scale.

This alliance could be the leap that puts fusion-powered energy on the map within the next decade. Several companies say fusion plants could be operational by 2034 or 2035. 

"Bringing this from the lab to society to application is where we need economic development partners, policy partners, and friends…the public needs to buy in and like the technology we are developing," said UW–Madison professor and Realta Fusion co-founder Oliver Schmitz.

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