With three fusion companies in the Puget Sound area, Washington State has the highest concentration of fusion energy companies anywhere in the world, making now an opportune time to engage in “co-opetition” with one another to solve shared industry-focused problems through the fusion working group.
Curious about fusion energy? Browse resources to get a 101 primer by Ryan Umstattd, VP of Product Development at Zap Energy.
Interested in joining? The Fusion Working Group meets regularly on the last Tuesday of every month from 9:00 – 10:00 AM PT. Click here to join.
Fusion reactor at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory / Damien Jemison)
PARTICIPANTS
Avalanche is a VC-backed, fusion energy start-up based in Seattle, WA. We are designing, testing and building micro-fusion reactors that you can hold in your hand. Our modular reactor design can be stacked for endless power applications and unprecedented energy density to provide clean energy and decarbonize the planet.
Helion is a fusion power company based in Everett, WA, with the mission to enable a future with unlimited clean energy. Our vision is a world with clean, reliable, and affordable electricity for everyone. Currently, we are scaling up our latest fusion prototype to make their vision a reality.
Zap Energy is building a low-cost, compact and scalable Z-pinch fusion energy system that confines and compresses plasma without the need for expensive and complex magnetic coils.
The City of Everett supports the Fusion Working Group activities and are actively involved in the promotion and commercialization of fusion energy technologies in Washington State.
Johnston Engineering is the PNW region’s only product development engineering firm with true integrated engineering design, analysis, and fabrication. Our approach of integrated design and analysis ensures the quickest product development cycle with the least number of prototype iterations which saves our customers time and money.We design, fabricate, and deliver your product in a timely manner and at a competitive price.
The Technology Alliance is a statewide, non-profit organization of leaders from Washington’s technology-based businesses and research institutions united by our vision of a vibrant innovation economy that benefits all of our state’s citizens. Through programs, events, data analysis, and policy activities, we advance excellence in education, research, and entrepreneurship to support the growth of our high-impact industries; the creation of high-wage jobs; and economic prosperity for our entire state.
PROJECTS
Fusion Energy Industry Outreach Project (2021 – Present)
Sally Benson, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, visits Avalanche Energy during the 2022 Seattle Fusion Week. (CleanTech Alliance / Jennifer Audet)
This multi-pronged project seeks to raise the profile and competitiveness of the fusion clean energy industry. Activities include hosting the annual Fusion Week Summit in Seattle and Everett.
At the 2021 Fusion Week, participants attended lab site tours, a VIP reception that included policymakers, and featured speakers from federal agencies such as NASA and DARPA. At the 2022 Fusion Week, attendance more than doubled from 2021 and included notable speakers and attendees from the White House, DOE, and U.S. House of Representatives. Learn more about the annual event here.
The fusion energy project also focuses on establishing regulatory and legislative priorities to support the fusion energy sector, marketing strategies to raise awareness of the decarbonizing benefits of fusion energy, and workforce development partnerships to educate and train fusion energy technicians.
