Commercializing Fusion Energy: An entirely new energy source is closer than you think - Livestream

Fusion powers our Sun, all the stars in the universe, and sustains life on Earth. Fusion is the Holy Grail of energy - safe, sustainable, and carbon-free. Fusion fuel the mass of a raisin contains enough energy to power a typical home for several years, displacing the burning of 12 tons of coal that would create 25 tons of carbon dioxide.

For more than 75 years, it has been a dream to recreate the Sun’s fusion energy here on Earth. Even though tens of billions of dollars have been expended by teams of scientists and engineers working around the world on a variety of fusion approaches, there has been no experimental proof that the fusion energy dream could be realized.

That was, until December 5, 2022. Everything changed when, at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world's largest and most energetic laser was pointed at a peppercorn-sized target and a tiny Sun was created on Earth. More fusion energy was produced than the laser energy needed to ignite the fusion fuel. This has been repeated many times since with increasing energy gain.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm referred to it as "One of the most impressive scientific feats of the 21st century." Some have likened it to the historic "Kitty Hawk moment” when the Wright Brothers were the first to successfully fly a piloted aircraft.

Like Kitty Hawk, fusion energy gain at the NIF is of those historical “before and after” moments. The challenge now is to convert fusion physics proof to baseload commercial power, providing large-scale, sustainable, zero-emission electricity. Fusion energy can also be used for powering the hydrogen economy, and creating low-carbon commodities including fertilizers, syn-fuels, cement, and steel, and to de-carbonize the desalination of water. The fusion industry and its applications can be a multi-trillion-dollar business for decades to come.

Our guests will discuss how this will occur in the next few years.

Speakers:

• Dr. Edward Moses, CEO and Founder of Longview Fusion Energy Systems
• Dr. Mike Dunne,Professor of Photon Science, Stanford University
• Deborah C. Gordon, Moderator

Register at weblink to receive connection information