Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation to accelerate quantum and fusion energy development in California and announced a new $30 million state investment in quantum research and innovation.
The bills create a strategic plan for fusion energy development in the state, expand fusion research and development opportunities, and direct California to develop a commercial fusion strategy and assess the potential for advanced nuclear power plants to support the state's goal of 100 percent zero-carbon electricity by 2045.
The legislation includes SB 925, requiring the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to create a fusion energy strategic plan and certification process, and AB 2647, directing an assessment of advanced nuclear technologies and their potential role in supporting critical state infrastructure.
California hosts the nation's two leading fusion research centers: the DIII-D National Fusion Facility in San Diego, the nation's largest magnetic-confinement fusion user facility, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility, where researchers achieved the first laboratory fusion ignition in December 2022.
The announcement follows Quantum California, a statewide initiative launched in 2025 to develop quantum technology leadership through partnerships among universities, national laboratories, private companies, and policymakers. California is home to quantum research centers at UC Berkeley, UCLA, the University of Southern California, and Stanford.