Helion Secures Land and Begins Building on the Site of the World’s First Fusion Power Plant

Helion, a Washington-based fusion energy company, led by Dr. David Kirtley(Founder & CEO), Chris Pihl(Co-Founder & CTO), and Dr. George Votroubek(Co-Founder & Principal Scientist), announced that it has begun work on the site of its first fusion power plant, Orion, marking a major step in bringing fusion electricity to the grid. Located in Chelan County, Washington, the site was chosen for its ready access to transmission and legacy of energy innovation.

In 2023, Helion signed the world’s first fusion power purchase agreement with Microsoft, targeting energy delivery by 2028. Constellation Energy will serve as the power marketer, and site work is already underway to meet the timeline.

Helion is building its fusion power plant in Malaga, Washington, on land leased from the Chelan County PUD. The project cleared Washington’s SEPA environmental review with a Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance (MDNS). Since 2023, Helion has engaged with state and local stakeholders, Tribal Nations, and the public, and is now advancing through the final permitting steps to construct and operate the facility.

Helion’s rapid iteration and testing strategy has driven consistent progress toward commercial fusion. Its 7th-generation prototype, Polaris, aims to demonstrate the first electricity produced from fusion. Previously, its Trenta prototype became the first from a private company to reach 100 million degrees Celsius — the temperature widely considered necessary for commercial fusion.