OpenAI is negotiating to purchase large-scale fusion energy from Helion Energy, aiming for 5 gigawatts by 2030 and scaling up to 50 gigawatts by 2035. This potential partnership marks a bold step into commercial fusion power, leveraging a technology that converts fusion reactions directly into electricity. It positions OpenAI as a future leader in using clean, advanced energy to fuel AI infrastructure. The deal, if finalized, would surpass prior fusion agreements, signaling strong confidence in Helion’s unique approach and disruptive potential.
OpenAI fusion power purchase targets and Helion’s technology
Unlike traditional fusion projects that generate heat to power turbines, Helion uses magnetic fields to directly convert fusion energy into electricity, improving efficiency and reducing mechanical complexity. The startup’s reactors are expected to produce about 50 megawatts each. Therefore, the initial OpenAI target of 5 gigawatts would require roughly 100 reactors online by 2030, with around 1,000 reactors by 2035 to reach 50 gigawatts.
This scale is impressive given Helion’s current commercial commitments, which include:
- A contract with Microsoft for 50 megawatts
- A planned 500-megawatt plant with Nucor in the 2030s
The leap to gigawatt-scale agreements represents both ambition and a bet on rapid fusion commercialization.
OpenAI’s strategic interest in clean fusion energy
While the negotiations remain early and conditional-site selection and technical milestones still need to be finalized-OpenAI’s interest highlights the growing appeal of fusion as a long-term clean power source for technology giants. Fusion offers near-limitless energy free of long-lived radioactive waste. Helion’s use of deuterium and helium-3 fuels enhances its sustainability compared to competitors using more conventional fusion designs.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI and Helion’s largest individual investor, stepped down from Helion’s board to avoid conflicts of interest. This move mirrors his previous exit last year from Oklo, a small modular nuclear reactor company. Altman’s exit ensures clearer separation between his investment interests and OpenAI’s corporate strategy, an important governance decision following concerns raised when Microsoft signed its own Helion energy deal in 2023.
Helion Energy’s progress and fusion industry context
Helion has secured significant funding, including a $425 million Series F round in 2025 that valued the company at over $5 billion. Their recent achievement of 150 million degrees Celsius plasma temperature surpasses key fusion performance milestones. However, no fusion company has yet demonstrated net electricity output at commercial scale.
OpenAI’s partnership interest shows confidence in Helion but also highlights fusion’s long path from experimental technology to practical energy source.
Other fusion startups, such as Commonwealth Fusion Systems, take different approaches like tokamak reactors, with backing from tech giants like Google. These companies have secured smaller-scale power purchase agreements. Helion’s direct-energy conversion method distinguishes it by aiming to bypass some inefficiencies inherent in traditional fusion designs.
The future of AI infrastructure powered by fusion energy
The prospective OpenAI-Helion power deal points to a future where AI development and energy innovation become closely linked. Although scaling fusion energy remains complex, OpenAI’s readiness to secure gigawatts of fusion power could accelerate the industry’s progress toward proving that fusion energy can meet vast commercial demand within the next decade.