Done when a fusion power plant delivers net electricity into a commercial grid on a sustained, metered basis, meaning power sold or dispatched over a period of regular operation rather than a single test pulse. Scientific gain records, plasma temperature milestones, ignition shots, prototype commissioning, power-on tests and demonstration electricity produced only on site do not count. A first grid connection counts only if the plant exports more electricity than it draws and keeps doing so in routine operation.
No fusion plant is delivering electricity to any grid. Type One Energy's 400-MW Infinity Two plant at TVA's Bull Run site remains the nearest dated commercial target, with its CEO saying it could come online by 2034; Tennessee issued Type One the first fusion-specific state license on Aug 31, 2026, and its Infinity One prototype is due to start up in 2029. ENN broke ground on Helong-2 on Sep 16 with a goal of first hydrogen-boron electricity by 2030, Helical Fusion plans pilot power-on tests in 2027, and General Fusion reported a 1.1 keV electron temperature on LM26 on Oct 8, a first for magnetized target fusion co-authored with UKAEA. Europe delivered the final vacuum vessel sector for ITER on Oct 5. Policy is advancing: a bipartisan $10B House fusion bill was introduced Sep 30, California signed SB 925 the same day, Germany launched a milestone-based programme, and Commerce signed letters of intent with Helion and Commonwealth Fusion Systems.
2026-10-08: General Fusion measured a 1.1 keV electron temperature on its LM26 machine, a first for magnetized target fusion, in work co-authored with UKAEA. — newgen — Fusion race: $10B bill, ENN's H-B groundbreak, UK sprint
2026-10-05: Europe delivered its final vacuum vessel sector for ITER at Cadarache, completing that part of the project's hardware. — newgen — Fusion race: $10B bill, ENN's H-B groundbreak, UK sprint
2026-09-16: ENN broke ground on Helong-2, a hydrogen-boron spherical device in Langfang, China, aimed at first electricity by 2030. — newgen — Fusion race: $10B bill, ENN's H-B groundbreak, UK sprint
2026-08-31: Tennessee's environment department issued the nation's first fusion-specific byproduct-material license to Type One Energy for its commercial fusion project at Bull Run. — newgen — Project Infinity: fusion at Bull Run (Type One Energy + TVA + UK)
Fusion is drawing public money and private capital on several continents: a bipartisan US bill proposes $10 billion for commercialization, Germany launched a milestone-based programme, and Commerce…