Fusion Energy: Why, How and When

In a remarkable public lecture in 1920, Arthur Eddington speculated that fusion might become the ultimate long-term energy source. More than a century later, the world is approaching a milestone: generating electricity from fusion for the first time. The National Academies have recommended that “the Department of Energy and the private sector should produce net electricity in a fusion plant in the United States in the 2035 - 2040 timeframe.” This is an ambitious goal - but recent breakthroughs in both magnetic and inertial fusion, combined with a surge of private-sector investment, suggest that success may be within reach. This presentation outlines the progress achieved so far and the challenges that lie ahead.

Speaker: Steven Cowley, Princeton University