"The breakthrough scientific moment for fusion power-and the potential for nearly limitless electricity from a so-called star in a jar-came at the end of 2022 when scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory successfully achieved "first ignition," fusing atoms through extreme heat to generate more energy than the setup consumes for the first time ever. The project's principal designer, nuclear physicist Annie Kritcher, wasn't content to keep the science in the lab after achieving what she deemed the "Wright brothers' moment" for fusion."
"Kritcher cofounded Inertia Enterprises in August to bring the power to the actual grid. The potential promise of fusion is for consistent, clean power without radioactive waste, intermittency issues, or the dependence on foreign supply chains. Inertia isn't a lone startup promising hopes and dreams. There's a group of companies now pursuing the commercialization of fusion within a decade-not some far-off timeline."
"The bottom line is many more scientists and business analysts are now convinced fusion energy powering our homes is just a matter of when, not if, even if the timeline estimates remain overly optimistic. Roughly 60 years ago, pioneering Soviet physicist Lev Artsimovich said fusion power will be ready "when society needs it." The combination of advances in science, technology-supercomputing and superconducting magnets-and, critically, money from AI hyperscalers and others makes fusion power a realistic option when the world is demanding much more electricity."
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory achieved first ignition at the end of 2022, producing more energy from fusion than the experimental setup consumed. Nuclear physicist Annie Kritcher cofounded Inertia Enterprises to move fusion power toward the electrical grid. Fusion promises consistent, carbon‑free electricity with minimal radioactive waste, no intermittency, and reduced dependence on foreign fuel supply chains. Multiple companies are pursuing commercialization within a decade, supported by advances in supercomputing, superconducting magnets, and significant investment from AI hyperscalers and other funders. Historical perspective and rising technical and financial momentum make fusion an increasingly realistic energy option.
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]