Commonwealth Fusion Systems will receive $85 million from the U.S. government to develop semiconductors and electronics for fusion power, TechCrunch reports.
The award comes through the CHIPS Act and gives the government a stake in CFS. The company says the funding will support five initiatives aimed at improving both fusion hardware and U.S. manufacturing capacity.
CFS plans to advance silicon carbide power electronics, which manage the high voltages used to drive the superconducting magnets in fusion systems. It will also develop radio-frequency generators for heating fusion fuel, radiation-hardened control electronics and technology for faster reactor operation.
Another part of the award will adapt AI hardware, including GPUs and TPUs, for use in power plants. More durable electronics could reduce maintenance and operating costs as fusion developers move from demonstration machines toward commercial facilities.
CFS is aiming to turn on its Sparc reactor next year, according to TechCrunch. The award addresses a less visible challenge for the industry: building a reliable supply chain capable of supporting many reactors, not just a single demonstration device.