OUTLOOK | 26 August 2026
Whether the billions of dollars of investment will lead to an inexhaustible source of clean electrical power is not yet known.
By Neil Savage
Engineers assemble toroidal field magnets at Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a fusion-power company in Massachusetts. Credit: Cassandra Klos/Bloomberg via Getty
After decades of slow progress in government and academic laboratories, nuclear fusion is riding a wave of strong commercial interest. According to the Fusion Industry Association, a non-profit organization in Washington DC, 46 companies around the world are hotly pursuing fusion for electricity generation. Other firms are working on fusion for more-specialized applications, such as making medical isotopes, performing materials research and creating propulsion systems for naval ships and spacecraft.
