“This project that is before you tonight isn’t just any regular development project,” declared Planning, Building, and Transportation Department Director Allen Tai. “The Board has not seen a proposal that is employment-generating since 2018 or 2019. The proposal…is consistent with City land use policies and the planning the City has been doing for the last 20 years. This is an important project.”
With that bold introduction, Tai set the tone for the City of Alameda Planning Board workshop on Monday, May 12, to discuss Pacific Fusion’s proposal to build a new 220,000-square-foot research and development facility on Alameda Point. The facility would enable the startup to advance its work towards creating a commercially viable approach for providing fusion power. City and Pacific Fusion staff already introduced the project to the community at a town hall meeting two weeks ago at the College of Alameda.
Pacific Fusion Infrastructure Lead Courtney Richardson told the Planning Board the company’s $1 billion investment would bring 250 permanent jobs to Alameda, build new infrastructure in the Enterprise District, and put Alameda at the forefront of global fusion innovation. The development could play a key role in helping to replace the 18,000 jobs lost when the U.S. Navy left Alameda and could catalyze future development of employment-generating uses in the area.
“Alameda is a very rich and vibrant community, both from a residential standpoint and also from a business community standpoint,” said Richardson, as she explained why the company is interested in building in Alameda. “We have been very impressed by the innovation that you already have here, and it feels as though we fit very neatly into what you already have going on at Alameda Point.”
Much of the evening’s presentation focused on the design of the proposed facility. Teresa Goodwin, a Regional Director with HPA Architecture, described how the building would fit on the 12- to 18-acre project site at the Enterprise District on Alameda Point. The proposed facility would include office and laboratory spaces, and a demonstration space to house the Pulser—the system that initiates nuclear fusion reactions.
Goodwin also explained several key design choices, such as a concerted effort to draw inspiration on the building’s exterior, window design, and color scheme from other facilities on Alameda Point. HPA is also exploring whether the southwestern corner of the development at Orion Street and Ticonderoga Avenue could be activated to provide seating, dining, and other amenities. Other design considerations, such as required parking, materials, and constructability, remain in progress.
Public comment
Public commenters had mixed opinions about the project, with most appreciating the economic benefits but a few expressing concerns about the use and handling of radioactive material.
“Although I really like the idea of fusion, I think that it is the wrong place…here in Alameda,” said Sylvia, a Bayport resident. “Often, startups fail. What happens if this doesn’t work? What happens to the building, to the waste?”
Alameda resident Francisco added, “The use of tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, poses a leak risk…and it can enter the water. The proposal is wrong, and it doesn’t feed the community. The location is too close to homes, parks, and schools.” He suggested investment in other green uses instead.
Toby, who grew up in Alameda and currently attends the University of Pennsylvania, joined the call from Philadelphia to voice his strong support. “I’m confident that Pacific Fusion will play a significant role in the future of fusion if they get it right. It’s a partnership that will be great for the City and advancing our own goals as a community towards clean energy.”
He quipped, “Pacific Fusion has the same radiation classification as a hospital, and I don’t think that means we get rid of Alameda Hospital, does it?”
Local stakeholders, such as Jonathan DeLong, Executive Director of the REAP Climate Center, and David Mik, President at Power Engineering Construction on Alameda Point, also voiced their support. Mik saw the development as an opportunity to “breathe life into the Enterprise District.”
Board discussion
During Board discussion, Richardson addressed several of the safety concerns that were brought up by commenters, clarifying that state guidelines require Pacific Fusion to have a decommissioning plan in place for the facility, and that the amount of tritium—often used in glow-in-the-dark applications—used on site would be just one-third of what would be present in a typical luminous “EXIT” sign found frequently in commercial buildings.
Board members primarily offered questions and comments on site circulation and building design. Board Vice President Diana Ariza inquired about the inclusion of solar panels and greenery to “soften” the concrete walls as efforts to make the building more sustainable and provide a transition to neighborhoods on the other side of Central Avenue.
Ariza and other Board members also wondered how people would arrive at the site. A follow-up discussion revealed that under the Master Infrastructure Plan for Alameda Point, West Oriskany Avenue would no longer exist and would be replaced by future phases of development in the area. A future for Skyhawk Street, which forms the eastern boundary of the project site, is undetermined, but would be kept in its existing condition as part of the Pacific Fusion development. As such, site access would occur along West Pacific Avenue, Orion Street, and West Ticonderoga Avenue, all of which would be improved and upgraded to complete streets under the project.
In closing, Board President Xiomara Cisneros reminded the audience that the Board’s role is to interpret the project application for compliance and that Pacific Fusion is working with the City, Alameda County, and the State of California to address safety concerns and compliance.
City staff will continue reviewing plans. A purchase option will go before City Council on June 17 for approval. The plan will include a package of infrastructure improvements. The public is also invited to Family Fusion Day at the REAP Climate Center on Saturday, May 31.
Ken Der is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. Contact him via [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Ken-Der.
