This is interesting! Microsoft is building a new fusion reactor for its own purposes, in central Washington near Wenatchee. It will supposedly be turned on in 2028. I didn’t realize fusion was anywhere near practical or commercial, but Microsoft thinks it is.
Every new reliable energy source is worth a few cheers, even if it’s solely for AI at first. After MS proves practical function with one reactor, others are likely to follow, possibly serving normal people.
It’s easy to see why they chose the Wenatchee area.
It’s on the main superhighway for electrons. The biggest sources are Grand Coulee and a few other dams east of Wenatchee, and Seattle is at the other end of the superhighway. A new addition of power will add more capacity to the heaviest part of the grid. MS will then buy the added capacity, though obviously not the same electrons.
Part of the map surprised me. I assumed Avista’s dams in and around Spokane were significant sources. The map includes Avista’s Nine Mile Falls dam, first constructed to power streetcars, and the Upper Falls dam downtown. Both are TINY compared to the dams on the Columbia and Snake.
Polistra's Mill 