Federal Award Funds Five CFS Chip Initiatives

Commonwealth Fusion Systems said Thursday it will receive $85 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce to develop advanced semiconductors for the fusion industry. The funding comes through a CHIPS Act award, and the agreement gives the government a stake in CFS. The company said the money will support research and development and expand domestic chip manufacturing capacity.

The award is directed at five specific initiatives. CFS will advance silicon carbide power electronics, which manage high voltages in products including LEDs, electric vehicles, cell phone base stations, and data centers. The same components drive the superconducting magnets that confine plasma inside fusion machines. CFS also plans to build next-generation radio-frequency power generators used to heat fusion fuel and develop radiation-hardened electronics that allow faster control of a reactor.

Brandon Sorbom, co-founder and chief science officer at CFS, wrote in a blog post that radiation-hardened electronics could extend the lifespan of components inside a fusion power plant, reducing operating costs. He said the funding would improve the U.S. chip and power electronics industries while accelerating fusion energy's progress toward the electrical grid.

The remaining initiative involves adapting AI hardware, including GPUs and TPUs, for use in power plants. CFS is building its Sparc reactor and aims to switch it on sometime next year. A single reactor serves as a proof point, but companies planning to build dozens of commercial fusion plants require durable power electronics and a dependable supply chain. The award provides funds for research and manufacturing expansion, but the source does not state a timeline for completion or identify the government's equity stake size.