Longview Fusion Energy Systems

Over the holiday weekend, I had the privilege of meeting Governor Lujan Grisham at one of the festivities near Navajo Lake, N.M.  I took the opportunity to discuss our progress at Longview Fusion Energy and the upcoming siting study we will be conducting for our first Markey Entry Plant. The Governor is keenly interested in the energy state of New Mexico being considered to host the world's first laser fusion power plant, and of course- I agree! I will keep you posted! #longview #fusion #newmexico

Over the holiday weekend, I had the privilege of meeting Governor Lujan Grisham at one of the festivities near Navajo Lake, N.M.  I took the opportunity to discuss our progress at Longview Fusion Energy and the upcoming siting study we will be conducting for our first Markey Entry Plant. The Governor is keenly interested in the energy state of New Mexico being considered to host the world's first laser fusion power plant, and of course- I agree! I will keep you posted! #longview #fusion #newmexico

Very Good News for Fusion Energy from Washington... For those of you who don't follow the ins and outs of Congress and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), there is some very encouraging news for the fusion industry. Late last month, the House and Senate, by overwhelming bipartisan majorities passed the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act. President Biden signed the Act into law yesterday. The ADVANCE legislation is a game-changer for commercializing fusion energy, explicitly supporting the development of fusion energy technology and directing the NRC, which is already moving along this line, to adopt a much more appropriate and friendly framework regulatory framework for fusion than those that exist for the nuclear fission industry. ADVANCE will play a major role in derisking fusion energy planning for schedules, budgets, and siting. This will facilitate confidence in moving commercial fusion energy projects forward for private fusion companies and their investors, as well as for communities, utilities, and other clients who are looking for baseload, economical clean energy sources. The passage of the ADVANCE Act is the result of the longstanding and dedicated work by individuals, institutions, and private companies in the fusion community, as well as the Fusion Industry Association and the Senate and House Fusion Energy Caucuses. Together, they have been working to make fusion energy a key part of our energy future. Longview offers our thanks to them all. Best, EM #fusion #fusionenergy #energytransition

Major regulatory news! On Tuesday, the United States Senate passed legislation that separates fusion energy regulations from nuclear fission in U.S. law. This distinction will allow for a more streamlined deployment route for fusion energy, crucial to ensuring the country’s position as a global leader in commercial fusion development. In a bipartisan 88-2 vote, Senate passed S.870, the Fire Grants and Safety Act, which included the Fusion Energy Act Act, legislation that codifies the permanent separation of fusion energy regulations from nuclear fission. The Fusion Energy Act was introduced to the Senate by Senators Padilla, Cornyn, Booker, Young, and Murray on April 18. The legislation streamlines the implementation of commercial fusion by codifying the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) unanimous, bipartisan decision to regulate fusion energy systems under NRC’s byproduct materials process. It also requires the NRC to study and report to Congress within one year regarding licensing commercial fusion machines, including streamlining considerations. Its companion bill – the Fusion Energy Act of 2023 – was passed earlier in the year in the House of Representatives as a part of the Atomic Energy Advancement Act. Representatives Lori Trahan and Jay Obernolte introduced the Fusion Energy Act of 2023 as an amendment during the committee consideration of the bill. The Act amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to add a new definition of “fusion machines” as particle accelerators. That clarification confirms the NRC decision in U.S. law. The Fusion Industry Association and its 37 member companies, all working to commercialize fusion energy, strongly support legislative efforts around the world to permanently and completely separate fusion energy regulations from nuclear fission. When signed into law, the United States will be the second country to enact specific fusion regulations into law – following the United Kingdom’s enactment of fusion regulatory legislation in October 2023. The FIA applauds Congress on this important bipartisan, bicameral achievement. The FIA thanks the sponsors in the House and Senate of the Fusion Energy Act, the members of the bipartisan, bicameral Fusion Energy Caucus, and Chairman Carper and Ranking Member Capito of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for all their work in bringing this legislation to final passage. https://lnkd.in/eD9VfvAe

I just stumbled, quite serendipitously, upon the report—Laser Design Basis for the National Ignition Facility—and have linked it below. It was released 30 years ago this week. It is the roadmap for the design of the NIF laser system and provides key performance requirements, the optical configuration, and technical challenges as they were assessed at that time. It is incredibly prescient for what has occurred since. The report was written by members of the foundational team—John Hunt, Ken Manes, John Murray, Paul Renard, Rick Sawicki, John Trenholme, and Wade Williams—who were involved in the designs of many of the ICF lasers that have been built since the LLNL Laser Division was born in 1972. During that time, LLNL's ICF lasers, among many other innovations, have increased in infrared energy nearly 100,000 times and were transformed into the highest energy UV lasers in the world. John, John, John, Ken, Paul, Rick, and Wade were key laser scientists, modelers, and optical designers, and Rick was NIF's chief engineer. This group's pioneering work, and that of so many others, led to the energy gain demonstrations that were promised and highlighted in the middle initial of NIF's name. This report is only four pages long, but its impact is immense. I found it inspiring and well worth a read. It encouraged me, once again, on our path to commercializing laser fusion energy. More on that later. https://lnkd.in/gz5abJ4t #fusion, #fusionenergy

Last Thursday, June 6th, I had the privilege of attending a meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, part of the White House complex. The purpose of the meeting was for the DOE and Office of Science and Technology Policy to announce their substantial support for U.S. fusion energy and launch a new program for private/public partnerships. The meeting was timed to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy, which coincided with the release of the DOE Fusion Energy Strategy. In attendance were DOE Deputy Secretary of Energy, David Turk; J.P. Allain, Associate Director of Science for Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); and Rep. Don Beyer, who is a leader of the Congressional Fusion Energy Caucus. They were joined by representatives from key agencies, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as other distinguished guests. During the meeting, the administration's Bold Decadal Vision for fusion was discussed. The goal is to utilize public-private partnerships (PPPs) to expedite fusion energy R&D and facilitate the development of commercially viable fusion pilot plants led by the private sector by the 2030s. The DOE, through the FES program within the Department's Office of Science, announced a new program called the FIRE (Fusion Innovation Research Engine) Collaborative. Backed by $180 million in funding, the Decadal Fusion Strategy of the DOE is structured around three pillars, each with specific high-level objectives--to address the S&T gaps necessary for the creation of a commercially viable fusion pilot plant, to establish a path towards sustainable and equitable commercial fusion deployment, and to foster and leverage external partnerships. The program will feature virtual, centrally managed teams, which can be led by domestic applicants such as DOE/NNSA national laboratories, universities, non-profits, and private companies. This exciting initiative presents a wonderful opportunity for Longview and all members of the fusion industry in the years to come. Here I am with Dr. Tammy Ma, Lead, Livermore Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) Institutional Initiative. #fusion #fusionenergy https://lnkd.in/gkF4rppz

Last Thursday, June 6th, I had the privilege of attending a meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, part of the White House complex. The purpose of the meeting was for the DOE and Office of Science and Technology Policy to announce their substantial support for U.S. fusion energy and launch a new program for private/public partnerships. The meeting was timed to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy, which coincided with the release of the DOE Fusion Energy Strategy. In attendance were DOE Deputy Secretary of Energy, David Turk; J.P. Allain, Associate Director of Science for Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); and Rep. Don Beyer, who is a leader of the Congressional Fusion Energy Caucus. They were joined by representatives from key agencies, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as other distinguished guests. During the meeting, the administration's Bold Decadal Vision for fusion was discussed. The goal is to utilize public-private partnerships (PPPs) to expedite fusion energy R&D and facilitate the development of commercially viable fusion pilot plants led by the private sector by the 2030s. The DOE, through the FES program within the Department's Office of Science, announced a new program called the FIRE (Fusion Innovation Research Engine) Collaborative. Backed by $180 million in funding, the Decadal Fusion Strategy of the DOE is structured around three pillars, each with specific high-level objectives--to address the S&T gaps necessary for the creation of a commercially viable fusion pilot plant, to establish a path towards sustainable and equitable commercial fusion deployment, and to foster and leverage external partnerships. The program will feature virtual, centrally managed teams, which can be led by domestic applicants such as DOE/NNSA national laboratories, universities, non-profits, and private companies. This exciting initiative presents a wonderful opportunity for Longview and all members of the fusion industry in the years to come. Here I am with Dr. Tammy Ma, Lead, Livermore Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) Institutional Initiative. #fusion #fusionenergy https://lnkd.in/gkF4rppz

Greetings from Ed Moses. I was delighted to speak at two sessions at this year's CLEO conference in Charlotte, NC (home of NASCAR Hall of Fame). CLEO is one of the largest and most prestigious gatherings of people and companies working in lasers/optics science, technology, engineering, and applications. The first session I participated in, “The NIF Journey: A Revolutionary Facility for High Energy Density Science (HEDS) and Fusion Ignition,” traced the history of lasers from its invention in 1960 to the achievement of fusion at the NIF and the path forward to laser fusion energy. For me it was a mini-reunion for key players in the NIF journey. Mike Campbell, former director of the LLNL Laser Program spoke about the 40-year journey to groundbreaking of the NIF. Mary Spaeth, former Systems Engineer for NIF, and I described the NIF's design, construction, and operation, and what had to be done to achieve ignition with energy gain. Jean-Michel Di Nicola, NIF co-program director for Laser Science & Technology spoke about the next phase of improving the NIF energy and power capabilities, and Tammy Ma, the Lab's head of its Inertial Fusion Energy Initiative ended by discussing what's next on the road to making fusion energy a reality. I was particularly proud of the fact that, 15 years after commissioning the NIF, besides achieving ignition, it is still the world's leader in high energy density science. A second panel session, "Market Focus Panel: Laser Fusion - What's Next?" focused on commercialization of inertial fusion technology. Leadership from Longview, Xcimer, and FuZe along with University of Rochester--LLE presented their visions for the fusion energy future. Great presentations and excellent follow up questions and discussions. Thanks to the organizer and participants. #fusion, #fusionenergy 

https://lnkd.in/ehM5h4cf Longview Fusion Energy Systems was recently featured on Engineering TV. The segment covered Longview's selection of Fluor, the global engineering firm, to design the world's first laser fusion power plant. Baseload energy from fusion will soon become a reality, and we owe this progress to the scientists at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), who have shown that laser fusion energy gain is now achievable. Longview is the only company building on the NIF's proven approach, and we are well-positioned to lead the revolution in commercializing fusion energy. We are proud to partner with Fluor on this endeavor and hope you enjoy this short segment courtesy of Engineering TV. #fusion; #fusionenergy #Sustainability #Climate Change #Renewable Energy #Cleantech #Carbon Emissions #Carbon Neutral, #Sustainable Energy #Global Warming

Greetings from Ed Moses! Just back from the DOE's Office of Fusion Energy Science IFE-STAR two-day meeting on Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE). Representatives from the FES office, several national labs (Livermore, Los Alamos, Sandia, Savannah River, and Oak Ridge) met with several companies in the IFE business. They represented various approaches to the goal of commercializing fusion energy. Discussions ranged over technical presentations, public-private partnerships, regulatory challenges, and exploring approaches to common cause to accelerate fusion energy. Dr. Kramer Akli did a phenomenal job arranging and leading this meeting. Longview stood apart in that, by design, we are uniquely aligned with the only proven fusion process with energy gain (more fusion energy out than laser energy in) being done on the LLNL NIF fusion facility. This has been repeatedly demonstrated. This retires, for Longview only, the most important risk item of commercialization — proving that the physics actually works. Of course, there is much more to do in technology and engineering and supply chain development, but we are now on a solid foundation to build confidence in commercializing Longview Fusion Energy technology. Best regards, EM #fusion; #fusionenergy