Fusion energy has reached a major milestone after Helion became the first company in the world to receive the regulatory licenses needed to build and operate a fusion power plant.

 

Fusion energy has reached a major milestone after Helion became the first company in the world to receive the regulatory licenses needed to build and operate a fusion power plant. Unlike today's nuclear power stations, which generate energy by splitting heavy atoms, fusion produces energy by combining light hydrogen atoms under extremely high temperatures and pressures. This is the same process that powers the Sun. If successful, fusion could provide large amounts of electricity without producing carbon dioxide during operation and with far less long lived radioactive waste than conventional nuclear fission.

The newly licensed Orion power plant will use powerful magnetic fields and pulses of electricity to heat hydrogen fuel into an ultra hot state called plasma. Under these conditions, atomic nuclei can fuse together, releasing enormous amounts of energy. Helion's design also converts part of this energy directly into electricity, reducing the need for traditional steam turbines and potentially improving efficiency.

Receiving regulatory approval marks an important transition from experimental research to commercial development. Although engineers still face significant technical challenges, the project demonstrates how decades of fusion research are gradually moving from the laboratory toward practical power generation, bringing the possibility of abundant, low carbon electricity closer to reality.

SOURCE : Helion Energy

EVERETT, Wash. – June 16, 2026 – Helion, a Washington-based fusion energy company, today became the first company in the world to secure the regulatory licenses needed for a fusion power plant, following receipt of two licenses from the Washington Department of Health (DOH). The licenses – Radioactive Materials License (RML) and Radioactive Air Emissions License (RAEL) – mark a major milestone for the company, confirming Helion has the facilities, trained personnel, and safety programs in place at its Orion facility in Malaga, WA, to meet the rigorous safety standards required for fusion operations.

These licenses demonstrate Helion’s commitment to engaging early and often with state regulators to ensure compliance with system requirements. They enable Helion to continue building on the site of Orion, the world’s first fusion power plant.

“We are extremely proud to be granted these licenses from the Washington DOH, making us the first company in the world with the regulatory approvals in place for fusion power plant operations,” said David Kirtley, CEO of Helion Energy. “We have a long history of working with the DOH to license our previous fusion activities. Today’s announcement represents the rigor of that work and opens the door for practical, commercial, safe fusion power.”

The Washington DOH is the licensing body for fusion power in the state, following the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to regulate fusion under the byproduct material framework, alongside particle accelerators and hospitals, rather than like nuclear fission reactors. This distinction, codified by Congress in the bipartisan ADVANCE Act of 2024, reflects fusion’s fundamentally different safety profile and enables a right-sized path to deployment. Washington’s pathway was strengthened by bipartisan state legislation in 2024 and 2025 – HB 1924 and HB 1018 – that clarified fusion’s role in clean energy policy and provided permitting certainty for fusion power plants.

“We’re grateful to partner with a world-class company like Helion. Leading radioactive regulatory oversight for the fusion industry in Washington state is an honor and is essential to protecting public health while advancing clean energy,” said Jill Wood, director of the Department of Health’s Office of Radiation.

Orion’s RAEL and RML are the latest in a group of keHelion clears key regulatory milestone on the path to building and operating the world's first fusion power planty permits and licenses required for Helion to build and operate its first fusion power plant in Washington state. Their receipt follows Helion’s deep community engagement efforts in Chelan County – where Malaga is located – dating back to 2023, including more than 10 public meetings to discuss the project. The company is also working toward a transmission interconnection agreement with Chelan County Public Utility District, in what will be the first such agreement for a fusion power plant, marking another key step toward delivering electricity to the grid.

Helion continues to build Orion in Malaga, with the assembly and office building construction complete. Now, the company can proceed with work on the generator building, for which initial earthwork began in the spring of 2026.

Helion clears key regulatory milestone on the path to building and operating the world's first fusion power plant