Helion, a Washington-based fusion energy company, announced on July 30, 2025, that it began work on the site of its first fusion power plant, Orion, marking a major step in bringing fusion electricity to the grid.
Located in Chelan County, Washington, the site was chosen for its ready access to transmission and legacy of energy innovation.
In 2023, Helion announced the world's first power purchase agreement that will provide energy from the plant to Microsoft by 2028, with Constellation Energy serving as power marketer. With site work now under way, Helion remains on track to meet that goal.
"Today is an important day — not just for Helion, but for the entire fusion industry — as we unleash a new era of energy independence and industrial renewal," said David Kirtley, Helion's co-founder and CEO. "Since we founded the company, we have been completely focused on preparing fusion technology for commercialization and getting electrons on the grid. Starting site work brings us one step closer to that vision."
Helion began building in Malaga, Wash., on land it is leasing from the Chelan County Public Utilities District.
Since 2023, Helion has actively engaged with local and state stakeholders — including government agencies, Tribal Nations and the public — in preparation for a siting and permitting decision. Helion will continue to work through the remaining steps in the permitting process to construct and operate a commercial fusion power plant on the site.
Helion's approach of rapid iteration and testing has enabled the company to make steady progress toward a commercial fusion machine.
Its seventh-generation prototype, Polaris, is expected to demonstrate the first electricity produced from fusion. With its previous prototype, Trenta, Helion was the first private company to achieve a fuel temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius, which is generally considered the required operating temperature for a commercial fusion power plant.
Helion arranged a purchase agreement with Microsoft to provide 50 megawatts of power to the software company to power the data centers it is building in the valley, seattletimes.com reported.
The Chelan County Public Utilities District approved in June the leasing of 80 acres to Helion, according to wenatcheeworld.com. In its application, the company said it would build office, assembly and generator buildings on the site.
For details, visit helionenergy.com.
