Helion Energy became the first company to receive regulatory licenses for a fusion power facility, the Washington state startup announced Tuesday. The milestone marks a key step toward commercial fusion energy and Helion's 2028 timeline to supply power to Microsoft's data center.
The Washington Department of Health issued both a Radioactive Materials License and a Radioactive Air Emissions License for Helion's planned plant in Central Washington, where the company broke ground last year. The licenses confirm Helion met safety requirements for facilities, personnel, and safety programs.
Helion aims to produce 50 megawatts from its Orion plant in Malaga, Wash., near the Microsoft data center it will power. The company has raised $1.5 billion to date, including $463 million announced recently.
Helion is among more than 40 companies racing to replicate fusion reactions that power the sun. No effort has yet produced commercially viable amounts of energy compared to system input costs, though milestones continue. Skeptics question whether fusion will prove cost-competitive or arrive within predicted timelines.
The regulatory path emerged from 2023 federal guidance when the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission determined fusion technology resembles particle accelerators more than fission reactors. Washington state lawmakers passed two bills clarifying fusion's status as clean energy and establishing permitting rules.
"Leading radioactive regulatory oversight for the fusion industry in Washington state is an honor and is essential to protecting public health while advancing clean energy," said Jill Wood, director of DOH's Office of Radiation.
