SACRAMENTO – The state Legislature Wednesday unanimously approved Sen. Jerry McNerney’s SB 925, which would accelerate the development of fusion energy in California – a potential clean power gamechanger.
McNerney represents Manteca in the California State Senate.
SB 925 would require the California Energy Commission (CEC) to develop a strategic plan to advance fusion energy in California. The plan would identify opportunities to expand research and development, locate potential sites for fusion power plants, and create licensing and permitting processes for fusion facilities.
“Fusion technology has the potential to provide nearly limitless clean, safe, and reliable energy. With an incredibly high-power output and near-zero environmental impact, fusion can become the clean energy source of the future,” said Sen. McNerney, D-Pleasanton.
“SB 925 will pave the way for widespread adoption of fusion energy in California in the coming decades.”
SB 925 won unanimous approval in the state Senate after the Assembly unanimously approved it last week. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk.
SB 925 is sponsored by General Atomics, a California-based company that has been an international leader in fusion research since the 1950s.
“As the global race to achieve commercial fusion energy intensifies, this is the right time to put the necessary policies and resources in place to support California’s fusion ecosystem. SB 925 will ensure California remains one of the best states in the nation for pursuing and ultimately deploying this transformative technology,” said Dr. Anantha Krishnan, senior vice president of the Energy Group at General Atomics.
California is in the middle of a clean energy transition, with the target of reaching 100% clean electricity by 2045. Over the past decade, the state has made considerable advances in wind, solar, geothermal energy, and battery storage. Fusion can add significantly to the clean energy portfolio.
Nuclear fusion energy mimics the power of the sun by combining atoms to produce clean energy. Unlike nuclear fission energy, fusion is safe, does not produce long-lived radioactive waste, and has no risk of nuclear accidents.
While fusion energy development is still in the research phase, there have been several significant advancements in developing the technology.
In 2022, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in Sen. McNerney’s district, achieved “target gain” at their National Ignition Facility – meaning more energy was produced from the reaction than was spent to create the reaction. China’s main fusion device held a fusion reaction for 17 minutes in 2025, shattering the previous record of 6 minutes.
California has the largest fusion energy economy in the United States.
One third of all U.S.-based fusion energy startup companies call California home, supporting more than 20,000 jobs at national laboratories, national user facilities, the University of California and California State University systems, and other academic institutions, while leveraging billions of dollars in public and private investments.
Still, California is at risk of falling behind.
Other states are leading the way in terms of planning, permitting, and establishing regulatory frameworks. Additionally, fusion companies have sought greener pastures to access incentives or regulatory certainty that California has not yet matched. In 2025, Xcimer Energy decided to open a headquarters in Colorado, and expand manufacturing in Arizona. Pacific Fusion also chose to build their demonstration facility in New Mexico instead of California.
California has taken a step to study the feasibility of fusion energy through AB 1172 (Calderon, 2023). While this study is ongoing, the fusion industry is blooming, and many companies are looking to make large infrastructure investments in the near-term.
Filling in regulatory gaps and developing a statewide roadmap for fusion will help these jobs and investments stay in California.
