The East Bay Economic Development Alliance (EDA) honored Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)'s Livermore Institute for Fusion Technology (LIFT) with a 2026 East Bay Innovation Award. Livermore Mayor John Marchand nominated LIFT for the award in the Catalyst Category. LLNL scientists Bassem El Dasher and Wayne Miller accepted the award on behalf of the entire LIFT team at the awards ceremony on March 26.
"This recognition is especially meaningful, coming from our local community," said LIFT Director Tammy Ma. "LIFT's purpose is to advance the vision of turning fusion energy into a practical energy source through engagement and partnerships with the broader fusion community. The San Francisco Bay Area and the entire state of California are extremely important parts of that vision."
LLNL launched LIFT in 2025, following repeated successful demonstrations of fusion ignition at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). It serves as a hub connecting LLNL's world-class scientific and engineering capabilities with industry to advance fusion energy deployment. Through collaborative frameworks, LIFT supports startups and established companies by helping de-risk and scale innovations and by focusing research on cross-cutting technical challenges needed for commercial fusion power plants.
LLNL is already making an impact through LIFT. Earlier this year, LLNL released the Generalized Economics Model for fusion technology, a new tool designed to help the fusion energy industry assess the economic impact of plant operation and design trade-offs for building an inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant.
IFE is a promising approach to harnessing the power of nuclear fusion for energy generation. By using lasers or other drivers to compress and heat a small fuel pellet, IFE achieves the conditions necessary for fusion reactions to occur. LLNL's NIF is the only facility to have demonstrated fusion ignition, a critical milestone in the pursuit of fusion energy, and continues to advance the science and technology needed to make fusion energy a reality.
The East Bay EDA is a 150-plus member organization that serves as the regional voice and networking resource for strengthening the economy, building the workforce and enhancing the quality of life in the East Bay, which comprises 2.8 million people in Alameda and Contra Costa counties and includes large cities like Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, Berkeley and Concord.
The ceremony marked the 13th annual East Bay Innovation Awards, celebrating and honoring extraordinary companies and organizations that contribute to the East Bay's legacy of innovation. LIFT is one of 41 awardees identified and selected with the input of business, community, economic development and municipal leaders from East Bay cities and counties.
