In a groundbreaking move, tech giant Microsoft is reaching for the stars – quite literally. They’re setting their sights on nuclear fusion, often dubbed the ‘Holy Grail of Energy,’ to power up their operations. Harnessing this potentially limitless source of clean energy has been a scientific pursuit for almost a century, and now Microsoft is betting on a company called Helion Energy to deliver just that by 2028.
Helion Energy, the ambitious start-up, announced a power purchase agreement with Microsoft to plug the world’s first commercial fusion generator into a Washington power grid. They aim to generate a minimum of 50 megawatts of power, a modest yet substantial amount, surpassing the 42MW capacity of the US’s first two offshore wind farms.
The journey to nuclear fusion is no stroll in the park. The University of Chicago theoretical physicist Robert Rosner says, “It’s the most audacious thing I’ve ever heard.” But, even with the odds stacked against them, Helion Energy is forging ahead.