Former BP boss Bernard Looney joins fusion energy company
Yunus Kemp
Posted on: 18 June 2026
Looney joins Type One Energy saying the company is "de-risking the journey to commercialisation" as it bids to deliver fusion plant by 2034.
Type One Energy, a lobal fusion power plant developer, has announced the appointment of ex-BP boss Bernard Looney to its board.
The announcement comes as the company confirms its plan to bring commercial fusion power to the grid by 2034 and prepares to close its Series B funding round.
The company is also initiating procurement for its Infinity One prototype project in East Tennessee and has recently launched the UK Infinity Fusion Consortium with strong government support in the Britain.
As the former BP chief executive, Looney brings deep experience in global energy, capital markets, major project delivery and international partnerships.
Type One Energy chairman William Madia said: "His deep experience across global energy markets will bring a valuable perspective as we move towards deploying a fleet of the world’s first commercial fusion power plants.”
Intersection of AI and energy
Looney has more than 30 years of experience in the global energy sector, including leading energy transition initiatives at one of the world’s largest integrated energy companies.
He is now focused on the intersection of energy, AI, finance and sustainability, holding Board roles in several transformative energy and AI companies.
“Bernard has led at the highest level of the global energy industry,” said Type One Energy CEO Christofer Mowry.
“He understands what it takes to move from technology development to deployment, to shape an organisation around disciplined execution and operational excellence. His experience and skills will be an incredible asset as we complete our commercialization journey and continue to scale the company.
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Developing fusion power plants
Type One Energy is developing a stellarator fusion power plant, the most practical, near-term route to commercial fusion power.
In 2025, the company received a Letter of Intent and initial commercial contracts from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to prepare for first-of-a-kind deployment of the company’s Infinity Two fusion power platform at TVA’s Bull Run site in East Tennessee. Construction of the 400MWe Infinity Two plant is targeted to begin in 2028.
The company recently launched the UK Infinity Fusion Consortium with industrial partners and UK government support to advance an Infinity Two fusion power plant project in the UK.
This matters because energy demand is rising fast and energy independence is becoming existential to national security. AI, electrification, and decarbonisation of the global energy system is expected to increase electricity demand by at least 50% by 2040.
Meeting this demand will require a massive increase in clean, reliable, continuous power generation - exactly the role commercial fusion can play.
“Fusion will unquestionably be one of the defining energy technologies of this century,” said Looney.
“Type One Energy stands out because it is focused on developing and deploying fusion through a network of industrial partnerships that help derisk and shorten the journey to commercialisation. I am delighted to join the Board and support the company at this important inflection point in its journey, with expanding global interest in their technology from customers as well as the capital markets.”
Stellarators use precisely shaped magnetic fields to achieve commercially viable fusion plasma performance.
They are the only fusion technology to demonstrate stable, continuous operation at large scale.
Modern supercomputers, advanced manufacturing techniques, and high-temperature superconducting magnets now enable the efficient design and practical construction of commercially viable stellarator fusion power plants.
