Environment
California fusion push spotlights San Diego research hub
New state legislation calls for a fusion-energy strategy and expanded research as officials highlight San Diego’s DIII-D facility as a national center.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on September 30 aimed at accelerating fusion-energy development in California, according to the governor’s office. Senate Bill 925 directs the California Energy Commission to create a strategic plan and commercial-development framework for fusion, while Assembly Bill 2647 calls for an assessment of advanced nuclear technologies and their potential role in the state’s zero-carbon electricity goals.
What it means locally
The state announcement identifies the DIII-D National Fusion Facility in San Diego as one of the country’s two premier fusion-research centers. Operated by General Atomics for the U.S. Department of Energy, DIII-D studies magnetic confinement using a tokamak, a device that holds extremely hot plasma with powerful magnetic fields. The legislation expands California’s broader fusion research and manufacturing strategy; the announcement did not identify a new facility-specific award for DIII-D. Newsom also announced a separate $30 million investment in quantum and deep-space research and noted more than $9.7 million in prior workforce-development funding for quantum efforts across Southern California. The accompanying photograph shows a worker inside the DIII-D vacuum vessel during maintenance in 2017 and is archival; it does not depict the September 2026 bill signing or current operations.
Full report and further details: Read original report →