Leaders from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and its Livermore Institute of Fusion Technology (LIFT) shaped the agenda of the first-ever gathering of California fusion energy leaders from across the public sector, industry and academia.
"California is, without question, the center of fusion innovation," LLNL Director Kim Budil said during opening remarks on Nov. 13 to the more than 200 people gathered for the two-day event, called the California Fusion Energy Convening.
In a video message, Jean Paul Allain, associate director for Fusion Energy Sciences in the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, said he was "thrilled to see the state of California step up in this way," and called attention to the new DOE roadmap for fusion science and technology.
Budil also participated in a panel discussion with leadership from San Diego-based General Atomics and the directors of Los Alamos and Lawrence Berkeley national labs to discuss the role of public institutions in making fusion energy a reality.
"We need to find a new gear, particularly on the public sector side of this," Budil said in her remarks. "This industry is moving very fast, which is great, and we need to match that pace and we need to provide the kind of all-in effort that will allow us to knock down those technical barriers."
LIFT Director Tammy Ma moderated a panel discussion focusing on the fusion energy industry in the San Francisco Bay Area. "California is where the future of fusion energy will be shaped," said Ma. "As the home of fusion ignition, LLNL is pushing the forefront in novel science and technology, as well as forging private-public private partnerships to move this ecosystem forward."
LLNL is the home of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), which became the first lab to achieve fusion ignition in a pivotal 2022 experiment. That experiment, in which more fusion energy was produced than delivered by NIF's lasers, demonstrated a building block of what could one day be a source of abundant baseload energy.
Robin Wong, partnerships director for LIFT, participated in Ma's panel discussion.
"LIFT is open for business," said Wong, adding that "we are centralizing the Lab's unique capabilities to enable breakthrough research and development that helps the private sector build faster."
California's state leadership was also well-represented at the convening. State Senators Catherine Blakespear, Anna Caballero and Jerry McNerney participated in a panel discussion, California Energy Commissioner Noemi Gallardo delivered welcome remarks, and video messages from U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and Governor Gavin Newsom offered strong support for efforts to establish California as the fusion state.
"We want to make fusion part of everyday life, integrating it into our state's energy planning, workforce development and of course our economic strategy," said Governor Newsom, describing fusion as a potential energy source that "stabilizes our grid, creates world-class jobs and offers the opportunity to build the next great energy industry right here in our home state."
Additionally, representatives from the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the California Energy Commission delivered presentations on state incentives and programs to support businesses in California that can be accessible to fusion companies.
On the conference floor, an LLNL display introduced fusion-energy concepts through an augmented reality experience allowing users to peer into the NIF Target Chamber, where fusion ignition took place, as well as explore a conceptual fusion energy power plant.
The convening was co-hosted by LLNL in partnership with General Atomics and the University of California San Diego.
A presentation from the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation highlighted findings of its new study, "Catalyzing CA's Fusion Advantage: Roadmap to Commercialization," which found that fusion energy has the potential to support more than 40,000 jobs and contribute $125 billion to the state economy.
Last month, Governor Newsom signed legislation establishing the Fusion Research and Development Innovation Initiative, which makes $5 million available for advancing research and development into fusion energy.
Additionally, the University of California earlier this month announced the UC Initiative for Fusion Energy, which awards $8 million in research funding for fusion energy over three years to support collaborations across a range of disciplines in partnership with LLNL, Los Alamos National Laboratory and five UC campuses.
