Join us. for a discussion with Jessica Strunkin, Community Relations and Local Government Affairs Principal at Commonwealth Fusion Systems(CFS).
This talk will describe fusion energy and how the same process that powers the stars can be harnessed on Earth as the ideal source of carbon-free energy. A giant leap forward on the path to commercial fusion energy occurred in 2021 when Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrated the world’s strongest superconducting magnet at the scale required for fusion power plant systems. This new magnet technology opened up the possibility of developing fusion power plants at a size that can commercially scale.
Following this success, CFS rapidly built a magnet factory in Devens, Mass. and is using its first-production magnets to build a prototype fusion machine, called SPARC®, to demonstrate net energy and the technology’s commercial viability. In parallel, site planning activities are underway at the Fall Line Fusion Power Station in Chesterfield County, Va., where fusion will be harnessed to provide 400 MWe of carbon-free energy starting in the early 2030s.
In July 2026, CFS announced a $1 billion capital raise – the single largest funding round among fusion energy companies worldwide since CFS announced its $1.8 billion Series B round in 2021. To date, CFS has raised $4 billion, representing about 30% of the total capital raised by the fusion industry to date.
Our Speaker
Jessica Strunkin joined CFS as Community Relations and Local Government Affairs Principal in 2023, where she leads engagement with local communities and stakeholders to broaden awareness of fusion energy and to highlight the economic impact of CFS on the region. She regularly interacts with local officials, business leaders, educators, and neighbors, organizing quarterly community events at CFS’ headquarters for public education and interaction with the CFS team. She was part of the site search team for the first ARC™ Power Plant and also hosts community events in and around the Chesterfield County site for the Fall Line Fusion Power Plant.
Prior to CFS, she was executive vice president at MassDevelopment, Massachusetts’ economic development and finance agency, where she managed day-to-day operations for the community of Devens including oversight of the municipal utilities, public works, environmental engineering, and public safety. In that role, Strunkin served as the point person for the Devens property sale to CFS during the siting process for the company’s headquarters, R&D, manufacturing, and the world’s first commercially relevant fusion energy device.
She also served as the Massachusetts state and local government market lead for the engineering firm, VHB, and has over a decade of experience working on regional economic development initiatives while in the role of deputy director for the 495/MetroWest Partnership, forming highly effective collaborations between the public and private sectors.
Strunkin earned a BA in Political Science from Colgate University, and a Master of International Relations from Boston University.
SPARC® and ARC™ are trademarks of Commonwealth Fusion Systems®.