# Commercial Fusion Has Started: How Helion Is Bringing Power to the Grid by 2028

- Show: [Hardware to Save a Planet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet)
- Published: 2026-02-05
- Length: 51m
- Episode: 95
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-02-05-commercial-fusion-has-started-how-helion-is-bringing-power-to-the-grid-by-2028
- Listen: https://podcasts.fame.so/e/1n2rpxyn-helion-is-bringing-power-to-the-grid-by-2028-anthony-pancotti

## Summary

Anthony Pancotti, co-founder and Head of R&D at Helion Energy, explains the company's mass-manufacturable approach to commercial fusion, targeting a 2028 grid connection via a landmark power purchase agreement with Microsoft. He details how Helion’s use of deuterium and helium-3 fuel, combined with direct energy recovery, eliminates the need for steam turbines, enabling an assembly-line production model for power plants like Orion. The conversation covers the engineering challenges of high-field pulsed magnets, the regulatory framework established with the Washington State Health Department, and the strategic supply chain decisions to avoid rare earth metals.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-02-05-commercial-fusion-has-started-how-helion-is-bringing-power-to-the-grid-by-2028#t=0) Introduction: Anthony Pancotti and Helion Energy's Commercial Fusion Goals
- [2:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-02-05-commercial-fusion-has-started-how-helion-is-bringing-power-to-the-grid-by-2028#t=124) Pancotti's Background: From Aerospace Propulsion to Saving Earth
- [5:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-02-05-commercial-fusion-has-started-how-helion-is-bringing-power-to-the-grid-by-2028#t=328) Helion's Commercial Viability: Assembly Line Production vs. Bespoke Plants
- [11:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-02-05-commercial-fusion-has-started-how-helion-is-bringing-power-to-the-grid-by-2028#t=668) Direct Energy Recovery: Eliminating Steam Turbines and Using Helium-3
- [16:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-02-05-commercial-fusion-has-started-how-helion-is-bringing-power-to-the-grid-by-2028#t=997) Polaris Prototype and the Path to Orion: Demonstrating Electricity from Fusion
- [21:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-02-05-commercial-fusion-has-started-how-helion-is-bringing-power-to-the-grid-by-2028#t=1313) Technical Deep Dive: FRC, Magnetic Bottles, and High-Field Pulsed Magnets
- [29:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-02-05-commercial-fusion-has-started-how-helion-is-bringing-power-to-the-grid-by-2028#t=1778) Fundraising and the Microsoft Power Purchase Agreement
- [37:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-02-05-commercial-fusion-has-started-how-helion-is-bringing-power-to-the-grid-by-2028#t=2248) Regulatory Frameworks and Supply Chain Strategy for Scaling
- [44:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-02-05-commercial-fusion-has-started-how-helion-is-bringing-power-to-the-grid-by-2028#t=2673) The Future of Energy: Abundant Power, Carbon Sequestration, and Societal Impact

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Microsoft (company)
- Polaris (product)
- Orion (product)
- Trento (product)
- National Ignition Facility (other)
- New Core (company)
- Redwood Materials (company)
- Nanotech (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The Fuss About Fusion](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2021-12-10-the-fuss-about-fusion) (EE Times Current)
- [A blueprint for scalable fusion power](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2026-05-21-a-blueprint-for-scalable-fusion-power) (Catalyst)
- [The Future of Energy - Part 3: Fusion Energy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2022-08-30-the-future-of-energy-part-3-fusion-energy) (Additive Snack)
- [Is nuclear fusion getting close?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2021-12-23-is-nuclear-fusion-getting-close) (Catalyst)
- [Floating Power Sources, Augmented Reality For Work, And More | Hard Tech #5](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-11-floating-power-sources-augmented-reality-for-work-and-more-hard-tech-5) (Hard Tech Podcast)

## Citing this page

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