California-based nuclear fusion company TAE Technologies has welcomed the signing of a bill that makes California the first US state to enshrine in law the fundamental distinction between fusion energy and traditional nuclear fission.

The bill, signed by governor Gavin Newsom, supports California’s fusion energy industry by recognising the technology’s safety and environmental benefits while setting the stage for the state’s future regulatory framework

It also recognises the range of scientific approaches to achieving fusion’s “transformative potential” for the California grid for the first time.