GRANTS, N.M. – Commercial fusion energy developer Pacific Fusion hosted a recruiting and information session at New Mexico State University– Grants on May 6. The program drew students and community members from across Cibola County interested in careers that could help bring fusion power to market.
Pacific Fusion organized the event to explain how its expansion in New Mexico will create jobs and to describe training pathways for those who may not have traditional engineering backgrounds. The company chose Grants because of its proximity to Pacific Fusion’s new build center in Los Lunas and the planned $1 billion Research and Manufacturing campus in Albuquerque, both of which will support construction of the firm’s first demonstration scale fusion system.
Pacific Fusion’s New Mexico Investment
Pacific Fusion is headquartered in Fremont, California, but over the past year the company has committed major resources to New Mexico.
In September 2025, it announced that Albuquerque’s Mesa del Sol would host its R&M campus, which will build a first of its kind Demonstration System designed to achieve net facility gain – producing more fusion energy than the system consumes – by 2030. The project is expected to create 200 permanent jobs and hundreds of construction roles, and it will provide a significant economic boost to the state.
While the demonstration system is being developed in Albuquerque, Pacific Fusion is establishing a Build Center in Los Lunas to manufacture many of the system’s components.
The company’s expansion to Grants is part of its strategy to recruit local talent for these facilities. According to Sierra Kocherhans, the company’s talent acquisition lead, Pacific Fusion plans to hire dozens of technicians in the coming months with roles focused on precision driven assembly of pulser modules and other components. Kocherhans said that the jobs are “hands on” and that experience in construction, automotive, aerospace or laboratory work can translate to a future in fusion energy.
New Mexico’s combination of scientific expertise, policy support and workforce readiness makes it a natural choice for the company’s growth.
What Is Fusion?
Fusion energy is the process that powers the sun, releasing energy when light atomic nuclei combine. The most feasible reaction uses the isotopes deuterium and tritium, which release 17.6 MeV of energy per event – about four times as much energy per unit mass as uranium fission. Deuterium is abundant in seawater, while tritium can be bred from lithium, which is common in Earth’s crust. Because the reaction occurs in a hot, diffuse plasma, fusion cannot sustain a chain reaction – any malfunction causes the reaction to shut down rather than “run away”. According to Kocherhans, this makes fusion inherently safer than nuclear fission. Although some activation of structural materials occurs, fusion does not generate long lived radioactive waste.
Pacific Fusion’s demonstration system aims to achieve net facility gain by 2030, a significant step toward commercializing fusion power. According to Kocherhans, the system builds on decades of research in pulsed power and inertial fusion technologies at national laboratories and could deliver a 100 fold higher facility gain at a fraction of the cost of the U.S. National Ignition Facility.
Engaging the Grants Community
The session at NMSU Grants began with Pacific Fusion’s external affairs lead, Matt Pahl, who explained that communities like Grants, situated between Albuquerque and Los Lunas, should be part of New Mexico’s advanced energy future. Pahl said the goal was to “connect students and community members to the emerging fusion industry” and help them see themselves in the opportunities being created. He credited State Senator Angel Charley for encouraging Pacific Fusion to engage with Grants and its surrounding pueblos.
The presentation drew a full house of students from various majors, not just engineering.
Pacific Fusion representatives described how the company will train local residents to assemble pulser modules and other precision components. They explained that no prior fusion experience is required and that the company is developing training programs to upskill workers in Cibola County. Audience members, mostly NMSU-G students, asked thoughtful questions about how inertial fusion works, how energy from fusion reactions is converted to electricity, and what safety measures are in place.
The presenters explained that the company’s demonstration system will use repeatable pulsed power units and that the net facility gain milestone represents a “critical benchmark” on the path to commercial fusion power.
Marlene Chavez Toivanen, chief executive and academic officer at NMSU Grants, said the event created a bridge between education and real careers, giving students “a direct pathway into one of the most important emerging industries in the country”.
Local Responses and Future Steps
State leaders view Pacific Fusion’s presence as both an economic and educational opportunity. Senator Angel Charley, who represents Cibola County in the New Mexico Legislature, noted in a press release before the event that communities like Grants must be included to ensure the benefits of fusion energy extend beyond major cities.
The Middle Rio Grande Economic Development Association estimates that the combined Albuquerque and Los Lunas facilities could create more than $1.2 billion in economic impact over the next decade and provide at least $57 million in direct benefits to New Mexico, Bernalillo and Valencia Counties and the cities of Albuquerque and Los Lunas.
Pacific Fusion expects to begin hiring technicians this summer, with roles spanning assembly, quality assurance and advanced manufacturing.
Kocherhans encouraged interested local candidates to join the company’s talent network even if they are early in their careers. Local educators plan to integrate fusion energy topics into curricula to prepare students for these opportunities.
On Thursday after Pacific Fusion spoke with NMSU-G students, the Grants-Milan International Rotary Club heard from Toivanen about the partnership and discussion. The board expressed interest in supporting NMSU students and the partnership with Pacific Fusion.
The Future of American Energy
By investing in New Mexico and partnering with colleges like NMSU Grants, Pacific Fusion hopes to build not just fusion reactors but a new workforce that can sustain a clean energy industry for decades to come.
With abundant fuel supplies and intrinsic safety advantages, fusion could provide a reliable complement to renewable sources and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. As Pacific Fusion pursues its 2030 net gain milestone, students and residents of Grants again have a front row seat – and a potential hands-on role – in shaping the future of American Energy.