#fusion-energy

#fusion-energy

Two East Bay cities dodged a bullet when they lost to Pacific Fusion's selection of Albuquerque for its $1 billion fusion site. All three cities offered excessive tax breaks, land and other perks for an enterprise that may never be operational, let alone profitable. Recent reports of fusion research labs achieving just a few moments of more energy created than the energy expended to spark fusion indicate that productive sustainability is decades away.

As advances in computing and AI have quickened the pace of research and development, the sector has become a hotbed of startup and investor activity. Inside a fusion reaction, atoms are compressed and heated until they form a fourth state of matter known as plasma. When the plasma reaches the right temperature and pressure, those atoms begin to fuse, releasing tremendous amounts of energy in the process.

"Wait for the early 2030s and you will see fusion giants in each geopolitical block," Proxima's CEO Francesco Sciortino predicted.

General Fusion's recent layoffs and funding challenges underscore the increasing difficulties of the fusion industry as companies struggle for financial viability in a competitive landscape.

Regan stated the system aims for "100x the gain of what the National Ignition Facility can do at about one-tenth the cost."