Helion begins work on world’s first fusion power plant backed by Microsoft and Sam Altman

Fusion startup Helion Energy, backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has begun construction work on what could become the world’s first commercial fusion power plant. The site, located in Malaga, Washington, is expected to supply electricity to Microsoft data centers by 2028.

The agreement—along with a power purchase deal with Microsoft—is one of the clearest signs yet that nuclear fusion might move from physics textbooks to real-world infrastructure within this decade.

Why fusion—and why now?

Unlike traditional nuclear energy, which splits atoms, fusion fuses them together—producing energy with no carbon emissions, no meltdown risk, and minimal long-term waste. The tech has long been considered futuristic, but Helion’s Polaris reactor is targeting a tangible goal: generating electricity at grid scale, without steam or turbines.

If successful, it could mean cleaner power for the AI systems that increasingly employ high-density compute resources.

Altman’s stake in real-world tech

Altman has been funding Helion since 2014, long before ChatGPT's OpenAI stole the spotlight. This investment reflects a growing trend among tech leaders to solve infrastructure and sustainability challenges instead of just creating software.

With AI workloads consuming increasing amounts of power, solutions like fusion offer a way to future-proof the data economy and reduce the carbon footprint of everything from large language model (LLM) training to search queries.

A high-stakes energy experiment

Helion’s target is ambitious: achieving net energy gain—more energy output than input—by 2028. That would mark a scientific first in a commercial setting.

While skepticism remains, Microsoft’s involvement suggests real confidence. The company plans to integrate the power generated into its data center operations, aligning with its carbon-negative pledge by 2030.

If Helion succeeds, it could unlock a new energy source that’s scalable, stable, and purpose-built for the compute-heavy world we’re entering.

Final thoughts: a cleaner AI future?

Sam Altman isn’t just building AI. With Helion, he’s betting on the energy system that could sustain it.

In an industry defined by fast growth and enormous power use, fusion energy offers something rare: a long-term solution. Whether Helion hits its deadline or not, this marks a shift toward real-world, physical investments that match the scale of the digital transformation already underway.