ENERGY
Pacific Fusion names head of New Mexico operations
Josh Tech is a former executive at Tesla, REE Automotive
The company that plans to build a $1 billion research and manufacturing campus in Mesa del Sol has named a new head of its New Mexico operations.
Pacific Fusion named Josh Tech, a former Tesla employee, to the executive role on Monday.
鈥淪ome career moves feel incremental. Others feel like stepping into the future,鈥� Tech said in a statement. 鈥淎t Pacific Fusion, I鈥檓 joining a team tackling the ultimate energy challenge: bringing the power of the stars to Earth. My focus is on transforming that scientific ambition into a scalable, operational reality right here in New Mexico.鈥�
Tech鈥檚 hiring comes as the company has already begun making its presence felt in New Mexico. In December, Pacific Fusion, headquartered in California, launched its build center at the Los Morros Business Park in Los Lunas and has started hiring New Mexicans for roles spanning ground support engineers, inventory specialists, and managerial roles.
Pacific Fusion, which is in the process of building out its Mesa del Sol campus, had first announced the decision in September, saying it would bring 200 long-term jobs and generate more than $400 million in economic activity within the first four years of operation.
Landing Tech brings some sense of stability to those plans. At Tesla, where Tech worked from 2014 through 2018, he held managerial-level roles, including that of senior manager of new product introduction.
Tech most recently served as the chief operations officer of REE Automotive, a publicly traded company focused on developing automotive software, according to his LinkedIn. He held that role from 2022 through 2026.
Pacific Fusion鈥檚 work is a bit different from his past stops. The company plans to 鈥減ower the world鈥� with abundant and affordable nuclear fusion energy, offering on-demand power without carbon emissions, Pacific Fusion Chief Operating Officer Carrie von Muench previously told the Journal.
While the company hasn鈥檛 yet commercialized that type of energy, it reached a breakthrough earlier this year after discovering a more to make its fusion reactor work.
鈥淲e are working to build the future of energy, and are hiring the world鈥檚 best engineers, technicians and operators to make that happen,鈥� von Muench said in a statement announcing Tech鈥檚 hiring. 鈥淢oving fast means concurrently building the workforce at our Los Lunas build center and preparing to build our Research and Manufacturing Campus in sa国际传媒官网网页入口.鈥�
Matthew Narvaiz is the Journal鈥檚 business editor. You can reach him at mnarvaiz@abqjournal.com.
