Pacific Fusion breaks ground on New Mexico facility

The facility will test a method using intense, coordinated electrical pulses to create magnetic fields that compress fuel targets the size of a pencil eraser. According to CTO Keith LeChien, the system will generate approximately 100 megajoules per pulse—ten times the output of the National Ignition Facility. The architecture relies on 156 pulser modules, a design validated earlier this year when a one-third-scale test released 440 gigawatts of peak power in 80 nanoseconds.

Founded in 2023, Pacific Fusion has secured over $1 billion in Series A funding, allowing for a rapid development cycle. Beyond commercial energy goals, the campus will support national security experiments involving high-yield fusion. The company faces stiff competition from well-funded rivals like Helion Energy and Commonwealth Fusion Systems, all racing to integrate fusion power into the grid within the next decade.