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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
In transition: Commercializing fusion power
Commercial fusion power is closer than ever. There are now around 30 U.S. fusion companies, several of which claim to be on track to connect to the grid as early as the 2030s.
Tokamak and laser inertial confinement approaches benefit from decades of research at facilities such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and ITER, with alternative concepts including stellarator, magnetic mirror, and Z-pinch confinement also making notable progress as private and government funding for fusion increases.
Dr. William Burchill retired from a career in nuclear energy that spanned over 35 years focusing on nuclear safety. He is a member of the ANS Nuclear Installations Safety; Education, Training, & Workforce Development; and Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Divisions.
Before retiring, he was an HTRI Professor and Department Head of Nuclear Engineering for five years at Texas A&M University. Prior to that, he spent five years as the Risk Management Director at Commonwealth Edison/Exelon Nuclear.
Dr. Burchill’s career also included three years at Pennsylvania Power & Light and 25 years with Combustion Engineering (C-E), where his last position was Director, Operations and Field Engineering Services. He led the C-E response to the Three Mile Island accident.
Dr. Burchill earned a BS in Metallurgical Engineering (Nuclear Option) from the Missouri School of Mines & Metallurgy, and an MS and PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He also holds an MS in Management from the Hartford Graduate Center of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
He was given the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award, Department of Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering by UIUC, and in 2011 he was presented the Alumni Award for Distinguished Service from the College of Engineering at the UIUC. He was presented the 2017 Leadership Award from ANS and the 2020 Walter Zinn Medal from ANS. He was elected to be an ANS Fellow in 2021.
He is a past chair of the International Nuclear Societies Council.
Read Nuclear News from July 2008 for more on Bill.
