Breakthrough in Nuclear Fusion: Infinite, Affordable Energy
Scientists from the US government have achieved a breakthrough in the pursuit of limitless, carbon-free energy by achieving net energy gain in a fusion reaction for the first time.
Since the 1950s, physicists have been attempting to harness the fusion reaction that powers the sun. Until now, no group has succeeded in obtaining more energy from the reaction than it consumes – a milestone known as net energy gain or breakeven, which would help prove that the process could be a reliable, abundant alternative to fossil fuels and conventional nuclear energy.
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California has finally achieved net energy gain in a fusion experiment over the past two weeks. While many scientists believe that fusion power plants are still decades away, the potential of this technology is hard to ignore. Fusion reactions do not release carbon, there are no long-lived radioactive waste products, and a small cup of hydrogen fuel could theoretically power a house for hundreds of years. The breakthrough in the United States comes at a time when the world is grappling with high energy prices and the need to quickly move away from burning fossil fuels to prevent global average temperatures from reaching dangerous levels.
With the Inflation Reduction Act, the government is investing nearly $370 billion in new subsidies for low-carbon energies to reduce emissions and win the global race for clean, next-generation technologies.
The US Department of Energy announced that Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Under Secretary for Nuclear Security Jill Hruby will announce a “major scientific breakthrough” on Tuesday at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The department declined to provide further comments at this time.
