Realta Fusion could build first fusion energy plant within a decade, spokesperson says

Madison-based Realta Fusion could build its first energy-producing fusion plant within 10 years, though the path ahead has some challenges.

Robb Hughes, head of external affairs for the UW-Madison nuclear energy spinoff company, discussed this timeline during this week’s Wisconsin Energy Institute panel. He said the cost for energy produced by such a system would initially be “really high” due to it being a first-of-its-kind system. But over time, later iterations of these systems would be much more cost-competitive, he said.

“That cost never goes up, right, just keep building machines and all these prices just continue to go down the longer we exist,” he said. “That’s the hope at least.”

Still, he added the nuclear field advancing in this way isn’t inevitable, noting Realta Fusion alon