General Atomics announced that it has received a $20 million California Competes Tax Credit from the state of California through the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
The award will support General Atomics’ proposal to design and develop a Blanket Component Test Facility in San Diego.
The proposed facility would be dedicated to testing full-scale fusion blanket components. These components line the inside of a fusion vessel, capture energy, and produce tritium, a fuel needed to sustain fusion reactions.
General Atomics said the work would address a major scientific and engineering challenge on the path toward the world’s first commercial fusion power plant.
The facility would serve as a focal point for public- and private-sector scientists and engineers to validate blanket designs and develop other key fusion technologies.
General Atomics said the project would also support workforce growth and strengthen San Diego’s role as a fusion innovation hub.
The company previously announced that it is pursuing concept designs for the facility in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy. The initiative is part of a public-private partnership that includes Idaho National Laboratory, UC San Diego, and other collaborators across industry and academia.
General Atomics has been involved in fusion research since 1957 and operates the DIII-D National Fusion Facility on behalf of the Department of Energy. Located in San Diego, DIII-D is the nation’s largest magnetic fusion user facility and testbed.
San Diego is also home to the Fusion Data Science and Digital Engineering Center, major academic programs at UC San Diego and San Diego State University, and a growing network of private-sector and government fusion collaborators.
California’s fusion ecosystem has also been supported by state initiatives including Senate Bill 80, which created the California Fusion Research and Development Innovation Initiative, and SB 86, which expanded the Sales and Use Tax Exclusion Program to fusion technologies.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are grateful for this award and energized by what it means for the future of fusion in San Diego. This support will aid General Atomics’ continued investment in the research and capabilities needed to move fusion closer to realization, while strengthening our clean energy future. Facilities like the BCTF are where fusion research begins moving closer to real-world energy, and we are proud to help lead that work in California.”
“Fusion has always required bold science, sustained commitment and a shared belief in what is possible. With growing support from federal, state and local leaders, I am more optimistic than ever about the future of fusion energy and the role California, San Diego and GA can play in helping move this industry forward. Together, we are closer than ever to turning decades of research into a new source of clean energy that could benefit generations to come.”
Anantha Krishnan, Senior Vice President of the General Atomics Energy Group
“Through the California Competes Tax Credit, we are doubling down on the ingenuity and innovation that will define the future. By further investing in the fusion sector, we are helping ensure California remains a global leader in both the industries of today and the transformative technologies of tomorrow.”
Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to Gov. Newsom and Director of GO-Biz
