After considering Alameda, Pacific Fusion has chosen Albuquerque, New Mexico as the site for their first Research and Manufacturing Campus.
“Our Albuquerque campus will build on New Mexico’s legacy in applied physics, including decades of foundational research at Sandia National Laboratories,” Pacific Fusion said in an announcement. “The state’s expertise in advanced energy technologies, workforce that aligns with our future hiring needs, and capital-efficient environment for large projects make it a natural choice for Pacific Fusion’s strategic expansion.”
Alameda Communications & Legislative Affairs Officer Sarah Henry told the Alameda Post that while the City is disappointed Pacific Fusion selected Albuquerque over Alameda, “we will leverage this momentum to attract another innovative business looking for a new campus at the heart of the Bay.”
As for why Pacific Fusion didn’t choose Alameda as the site for their first Research and Manufacturing Campus, Director of Base Reuse and Economic Development Abby Thorne-Lyman told the Post the decision wasn’t related to the Chevron cleanup (or lack thereof).
In 2022, the Regional Water Quality Control Board entered into a voluntary agreement with Chevron to clean up the site of an oil refinery at Alameda Point in compliance with regulatory standards. However, Chevron failed to meet two deadlines for submitting a cleanup plan, first on February 28, 2025, and again on July 18, 2025.
“The City expressed some frustration to the Water Board regarding Chevron’s timeline for advancing the tarry refinery waste process, but we have been reassured that this was not a deciding factor for Pacific Fusion,” said Thorne-Lyman. “Though our quality of life and labor force is a major reason Pacific Fusion is keeping its headquarters in California, we simply could not compete with New Mexico’s financial offers to attract this demonstration facility.”
Even though Pacific Fusion is no longer a prospect for Alameda Point, Thorne-Lyman says, over the last month, the City has been “reassured that Chevron has the full intent to remediate the site as quickly as they are able, as their teams have been active in the field and engaged with the City.”
Overall, Thorne-Lyman says Alameda is walking away better prepared for the next business looking to build a campus in the Enterprise District of Alameda Point.
“Thanks to Pacific Fusion’s due diligence, we have better data on what’s underground and what we need to do to serve new development,” she said. “We created nimble ways to scale our sewer, water, and street improvements to accommodate new growth, while keeping costs in alignment with what the private market can afford.”
Additionally, the process showed the City they can “work on an aggressive and competitive timeline,” putting their streamlining and expediting efforts to the test across multiple departments, including Base Reuse, Planning, and Public Works.
Most notably, though, “the community and City Council expressed its interest in, and ultimately support for innovative technology,” said Thorne-Lyman. “We are hopeful this in particular will resonate with new businesses looking for a home in the Bay Area.”
Kelsey Goeres is the Managing Editor of the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Kelsey-Goeres.
