Nuclear fusion—which creates energy by fusing atoms instead of splitting them as with the fission which powers current commercial reactors—is often seen as a promise 10 years or longer from coming true. Recent experimental successes are encouraging, if still on a relatively small scale. The commonwealth of Virginia apparently is no skeptic on fusion, however, and this week announced that it is welcoming a startup which will build the world’s first grid-scale commercial fusion nuclear power plant in Chesterfield County by the early 2030s. If realized, the project led by Commonwealth Fusion Systems could help solve an anticipated energy crisis in a region full of data center expansions. “This is an historic moment for Virginia and the world at large,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. “Commonwealth Fusion Systems is not just building a facility, they are pioneering groundbreaking innovation to generate clean, reliable, safe power, and it’s happening right here in Virginia. We are proud to be home to this pursuit to change the future of energy and power.”

Full story : The nuclear fusion plant is planned to be built at the James River Industrial Center on land currently owned by utility Dominion Energy Virginia.