Part 1 of 2 Parts
Michelle Lujan Grisham is the Governor of New Mexico Governor. Today she announced that Pacific Fusion, a commercial fusion energy company, has selected New Mexico as the site for its first Research and Manufacturing Campus.
The one-billion-dollar facility at Mesa del Sol positions New Mexico at the forefront of the emerging fusion energy industry and solidifies its role as a national leader in advanced energy innovation.
Fusion is the same process that powers our Sun and the other stars. It has long been considered the holy grail of clean safe energy with the potential to generate virtually limitless on-demand power.
Grisham said, “Pacific Fusion’s decision to build in New Mexico proves that our state can compete—and win—in the race to attract the most innovative companies in the world. This project will create good jobs, expand our clean-tech economy, and ensure New Mexico continues to lead in the industries of the future.”
Pacific Fusion will construct a state-of-the-art research and manufacturing facility, housing its Demonstration System, which is designed to generate more energy from a fusion reaction than the total energy used by 2030. Reaching this milestone would be a historic breakthrough toward commercial fusion power.
Tim Keller is the Mayor of Albuquerque. He said, “After years of working to build Albuquerque as a hub for energy technology innovation, Pacific Fusion joins a growing number of companies that are choosing our city to literally ‘power’ our future. Today is proof of the assertion that we have passed a turning point—that our city is not only on the map, but can define the next chapter of clean-energy innovation.”
Pacific Fusion was founded in 2023 to develop commercial nuclear fusion energy. Its technology builds on New Mexico’s legacy of applied physics and clean-energy innovation. This includes decades of research at Sandia National Laboratories, home to some of the world’s leading fusion experiments. In addition to its historic leadership in applied physics and energy innovation, New Mexico offers a growing clean-tech ecosystem and a workforce that will satisfy with Pacific Fusion’s future hiring needs.
Keith LeChien is co-founder and chief technology officer of Pacific Fusion. He said, “We’re excited to expand our operations to New Mexico for many reasons, chief among them the close partnership we’ve developed with state and local leadership, who have made this project possible. Working alongside the Governor’s office, the Economic Development Department, the City of Albuquerque, key legislators from both parties, and the national labs, we’ve built true partnerships over the past several months. That collaboration gives us confidence that together we’ll be able to move quickly to deliver on the promise of low-cost fusion power.”
Upon completion, the project will bring more than two hundred long-term jobs to the state, along with hundreds more construction jobs, workforce development programs, and regional economic activity. It will be an anchor investment for a broader fusion ecosystem in New Mexico.
Rob Black is the New Mexico Economic Development Department Cabinet Secretary. He said, “This is a groundbreaking project that puts New Mexico at the forefront of fusion energy. Welcoming a world-class company like this into our state opens the door to an entirely new era of clean energy innovation. It means thousands of potential future jobs, a new supply chain, and the opportunity to cement our state’s leadership in clean technology for decades to come.”
Please read Part 2 next
