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Nuclear fission works right now but is frequently too expensive per megawatt-hour to build. There's no real reason fusion couldn't end up the same way.

• pfdietz 4y ago
  And realize this also depends on how much the competition costs. If renewables and storage continue to get cheaper, fusion that "works" in an economic sense could transition back to "doesn't work". It's the fate of most technologies to fail this way, so it shouldn't be surprising (or a source of dishonor) if the same thing happens to fusion. That doesn't mean money spent developing fusion is necessarily wasted; the size of the energy market -- a quadrillion dollars or so over the 21st century -- justifies longshot investments.
  • DennisP 4y ago
    Bear in mind that Helion's reactor is 50MW, about the size of three large wind turbines. If it works they'll be mass-producing them in factories and shipping them by rail, and they'll have a declining cost curve just like anything else.
    • pfdietz 4y ago
      I am cautiously optimistic about Helion. IMO, they're the fusion team that has the best chance of reaching the economic finish line.
• DennisP 4y ago
  That's true for fusion in general, but all the aneutronic designs look especially cheap to build, Helion's included.