March 2026 Dinner Meeting | Speaker: Jennifer Strunkin - Commonwealth Fusion Systems

For the first time in history, scientists are on the verge of creating a controlled, self-sustaining fusion reaction — a discovery that could deliver virtually limitless clean energy and reshape entire economies. And it’s happening right here in River City!

Our March dinner features Jennifer Strunkin, Principal for Community Relations and Local Government Affairs at Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) — a company that is putting Central Virginia at the forefront of the global race to make fusion power a practical, affordable source of clean energy. Jennifer will share how this pioneering effort is taking shape and what it could mean for Virginia - and the world’s - economy workforce, and communities.

CFS spun out of MIT in 2018 with a bold goal: to harness the same process that powers the sun to provide clean, economical energy. Its prototype reactor, SPARC, now under construction near Boston, is designed to demonstrate that fusion can produce more energy than it consumes — a breakthrough that could redefine how the world generates electricity.

The company’s first commercial power plant, known as ARC, is planned for Chesterfield County, potentially making the Richmond region a key player in one of the most significant energy advances in modern history.