The ‘Power Move’

Fusion isn’t a theory; it’s the future, says Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ Joe Paluska

In the high-stakes arena of global energy, fusion has long been considered the “holy grail” – a source of limitless, clean power that always seemed to be exactly thirty years away. At the Foundry during Las Vegas’ CES 2026, Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) chief marketing officer Joe Paluska spoke to LA Times Studios about a true b2b reality check: the era of commercial fusion is no longer a distant dream but a near-term industrial milestone.

From ‘Sparc’ to Grid

During the talk, Paluska emphasized that CFS is leading a shift in perception. The company is currently constructing SPARC, a demonstration machine located at the company’s factory outside of Boston that is, said Paluska, roughly 70% complete. “Part of my job is to basically tell the story of fusion, and also do a bit of myth-busting where that myth is ‘fusion is always 30 years away.’ It’s actually two years away,” Paluska explained. “We’re going to turn it on in 2027 and show the world the promise of commercial fusion energy,” he said.

Cracking the Code

The rapid acceleration of fusion technology isn’t accidental. Paluska attributed the breakthrough to a convergence of high-performance computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and most crucially advancements in materials science. CFS’s competitive edge, he said, lies in its use of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tape.

By incorporating this Nobel Prize-winning material into their magnets, CFS has managed to create confining fields of unprecedented strength in a compact footprint. Paluska offered a mind-boggling example to illustrate the raw power involved: “That one magnet is so powerful that in theory, it can lift a ship,” he said. “So, imagine something the size of your bed or dining room table lifting an aircraft carrier out of the water.”

This miniaturization is a game-changer for commercial viability and scalability. Unlike previous fusion projects that required massive billion-dollar facilities, CFS’s technology can create power plants that are smaller, more economical and faster to build.

Building the Commercial Ecosystem

For stakeholders in the energy sphere, the most compelling news is that CFS is already moving past the theoretical phase and into the marketplace. The company recently announced its first commercial power plant, ARC, to be built in Richmond, Virginia, in partnership with Dominion Energy.

Interest is already being generated throughout various sectors, said Paluska. “Google has already committed to buy half the power, and the Italian energy company Eni is also committed to buy power,” he noted. “[CFS] is already actively in the market selling clean fusion power to customers.”

Scarcity to Abundance

The ultimate value proposition of fusion energy is a fundamental restructuring of global economics, explained Paluska. By moving away from energy sources limited by geography (fossil fuels) or weather/geology (traditional renewables), fusion offers a future of “energy abundance.”

“When you have a world of limitless, unlimited energy... think about clean energy from fusion, then also being able to power industry, being able to power things like desalinization plants so you can generate more clean water for everybody,” said Paluska.

“It literally is an energy source that can power humanity – for the rest of humanity.”

As CFS preps for its 2027 demonstration, the message to tech and energy industries is clear: Fusion is no longer a science experiment. It is “humanity’s power move,” ready to transform how we build, manufacture and sustain the modern world.