Title
PLN25-0246- W. Ticonderoga Ave. & Orion St. - Applicant: Mario Tjia for Hines - Planning Board Workshop on Pacific Fusion Research & Development Facility. Pacific Fusion proposes constructing a new Research & Development (R&D) facility to test and advance their work toward development of a commercially viable approach for providing fusion power. The project would include a new approximately 225,500 square-foot building in the Enterprise District of Alameda Point containing a mix of office, laboratory and testing space. CEQA Determination: The draft Development Plan and Design Review approvals are subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act. No final action on the environmental review, the Development Plan, or Design Review will take place at this meeting.
Body
To: Honorable President and Members of the Planning Board
From: Steven Buckley, Planning Board Secretary
BACKGROUND
On February 18, 2024, the Alameda City Council approved entering into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with Pacific Fusion for potential development of a 12- to 18-acre property along Orion Street between West Pacific Avenue and West Ticonderoga Avenue at Alameda Point for a research and development project (Project). Pacific Fusion has selected Hines Interest Limited Partnership (Hines) as its development partner. On April 23, 2025, Hines applied for Development Plan and Design Review of the Project (See Exhibit 1 - Plans). The Project is proposed for an approximately 13-acre site on the east side of Orion Street between W. Ticonderoga Avenue and W. Pacific Avenue.
About Pacific Fusion
Pacific Fusion is a company founded in 2023 with the objective of creating abundant, affordable, clean energy through construction of a high-gain pulsed magnetic fusion system. Pacific Fusion is interested in constructing a one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art headquarters facility, which would include office, laboratory, and research and development space in which approximately 250 people would be permanently employed. The company is considering Alameda and Livermore as finalists for this facility and is simultaneously advancing efforts in both locations.
Pacific Fusion utilizes an approach known as pulsed magnetic inertial fusion which combines atoms from two substances, deuterium and tritium, to release energy, with helium as a byproduct. Whereas nuclear fission is the reaction commonly used in today’s nuclear power plants, nuclear fusion is fundamentally different. It does not release greenhouse gases, does not produce long-lived radioactive waste, and is not susceptible to meltdowns because the reaction is not self-sustaining and requires very precise reactions to continue. Additionally, Pacific Fusion’s process uses deuterium and tritium, two isotopes of hydrogen, which can be extracted from seawater or produced from lithium. Tritium is a substance commonly used in standard commercial exit signs.
DISCUSSION
Regulatory Context
The Enterprise District site was part of later phases of the Naval Air Station development and is not part of the NAS Alameda Historic District. The project site has a General Plan Land Use designation of Mixed Use in the Enterprise Sub-District and is zoned Alameda Point Enterprise-1 District (AP-E1). The Enterprise District is proposed to be a primary employment center for Alameda Point in order to replace the jobs lost when the NAS closed. Policies support uses such as office, research and development, light industrial, and clean energy startups.
Development Proposal
The proposed facility in Alameda Point would be a demonstration facility for their pulse system (Pulser) used to prove how to attain the conditions required to consistently produce more energy out of the system than is required to run the system. It is not a power plant, will not produce electricity, and will only be “pulsed” roughly once per day (a power plant would require activity closer to one pulse per second). The facility would be regulated by the California Department of Public Health, for which Pacific Fusion is preparing a detailed Health and Safety Plan and would meet CalOSHA requirements. More information on Pacific Fusion can be found at www.pacificfusion.com <http://www.pacificfusion.com>.
The Project includes construction of a new approximately 225,000 square-foot building containing approximately:
• 33,500 square feet of office and operational support space,
• 73,000 square feet of lab and testing space,
• 106,000 square feet of 100-foot tall, high-bay industrial R&D space where the Pulser is located and operated (see below), and
• 12,500 square feet of central utility space, including the electrical room and fire pump.
Additional on-site improvements include:
• Perimeter landscaping
• 226-space parking lot
• 4 bay truck loading dock
• 8 large drive through roll up doors up to 20 feet in height
• Storage and equipment yard includes:
o Storage tanks for water and oil ranging from 15-30 feet tall and 30-120 feet in diameter
o 9’x9’x20’ shipping containers
o Trash enclosure
o Utility equipment
o 8’ security fence around service yard.
This proposed R&D building would have a footprint of approximately 600 feet by 350 feet, with a maximum height of approximately 100 feet at the 300-foot by 350-foot high-bay industrial R&D space, and 40 feet for the other half of the building that would house office and lab space. The Project’s exterior will be a combination of tilt up concrete for the office, lab space, and the base of the R&D space and a precast panel or metal panel construction for the high bay space. Due to the sensitive equipment, the project will rely on driven piles to derive support from below the bay fill material so the building will not settle.
The proposed site plan positions the long edge of the building along Orion Street. This elevation has a substantial 70-foot setback from Orion Street, which mitigates the effect of the 100-foot height of the northern half of the building where the test equipment (Pulser) will be located. The office and lab space would be oriented towards West Ticonderoga with minimal setback to address the street frontage and create a stronger “front door” for the building. Employee parking would be located to the eastern side of the property, behind the building, accessed from West Ticonderoga, consistent with the site planning guidance of the AP-E1 Zoning District.
Schedule & Process
Pacific Fusion has an aggressive milestone schedule connected to their funding plan. The company is expected to select its preferred location this year (2025). Pacific Fusion held a community meeting to discuss the proposal on Thursday, May 1st. The land transaction process is running parallel to the entitlement process with the Planning Board. Staff in the Base Reuse department will present a purchase option for the proposed site at the June 17th City Council meeting. Price and terms will center on a package of new backbone infrastructure elements to serve the site and facilitate further redevelopment of the Enterprise District. The attached “Exhibit 2 - Enterprise District Infrastructure Plans,” shows some of the planned elements of the Master Infrastructure Plan for the entire Enterprise District, portions of which would be constructed by the applicant in exchange for the purchase of the project site. Final infrastructure and financial terms are outside the scope of the Planning Board approval. Overall infrastructure work will be consistent with the Master Infrastructure Plan (MIP) adopted with the Alameda Point zoning.
The Development Plan and Design Review package, along with a Tentative Parcel Map and Development Agreement, will be refined in response to the comments received at this workshop and in other public meetings and are expected to be presented to the Planning Board for approval(s) and/or recommendation to City Council in late summer/fall of this year. The Development Plan may be presented separately to the Planning Board for approval sooner as an interim milestone.
Planning Board Subcommittee
Given the compressed nature of the milestone schedule, staff requests the Planning Board appoint a subcommittee of up to three (3) members to work with staff and the project team to help refine the project design before returning to request project approval in the fall. Staff anticipate this subcommittee would meet one to three times over the next several months.
PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENTS
This workshop is not a public hearing, in that no decisions are being made, and there are no statutory requirements for public notice. Future public hearings on the project will include required mailings to property owners, newspaper ads and site postings.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The draft Development Plan is subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). No final action on the environmental review or the Development Plan will take place at this meeting. It is anticipated that the project will be reviewed for consistency with the certified Final EIR for the Alameda Point Project, which includes certain mitigation measures that have been incorporated into the zoning ordinance and are required of projects within Alameda Point, including but not limited to the MIP and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) measures.
CLIMATE IMPACT
This workshop to discuss the proposed research and development facility will not have an effect on climate change.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a public workshop to discuss the proposed Pacific Fusion research and development facility and provide feedback on the preliminary development plan and design review plans and consider appointing a subcommittee to work with City staff and the project team to refine the project plans before returning to the full Board for approval.
Respectfully Submitted,
Steven Buckley, Secretary to the Planning Board
By,
Brian McGuire, Planner II
Exhibits:
1. Project Plans
2. Infrastructure Plans