A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to Congress, “Technology Assessment – Fusion Energy Potentially Transformative Technology Still Faces Fundamental Challenges” says a number of challenges need to be overcome in order to achieve commercial fusion. The 43-page report notes that researchers and companies are pursuing many different concepts for fusion energy and have reported recent progress. This includes the development of high-temperature superconducting magnets that could make fusion devices more compact. Also, in 2022, an experiment at the US National Ignition Facility generated more energy from a fusion reaction than was used in the demonstration. However, overcoming the challenges facing commercial fusion could take “from 10 years to several decades”

A key scientific challenge is the need to better understand the physics of plasmas. “Researchers have made advancements in this area but lack sufficient experimental data to validate their simulations.” A key engineering challenge is the development of materials that can withstand fusion conditions for decades, such as extreme heat and neutron damage. However, there is no facility where materials can be fully tested. The task of extracting energy from fusion to provide an economical source of electric power also presents several complex systems engineering problems.

Public and private sector misalignments, regulatory uncertainty, and other factors also present challenges. “One area of misalignment is research priorities. Public sector efforts prioritise basic science, but fusion energy development requires an additional emphasis on technology and engineering research.” Another factor is regulatory uncertainty. Developing appropriate regulations to ensure safety without constraining development “is difficult” and may require significant public engagement. However, “little is known about public perception of fusion energy in the US”.

Projections of the time required to put fusion energy on the grid vary widely. “Some companies are claiming that they will achieve commercial fusion energy in about 10 years, while other stakeholders and experts said fusion might put electricity on the grid in 10 to 20 years but would require significant resources to do so.” Others said fusion energy will take more than 20 years.

GAO developed some policy options that policymakers – legislative bodies, government agencies, academia, industry, and other groups – could consider taking. “We intend for these options to provide policymakers with a broader base of information for decision-making.” They include:

  • Policymakers could maintain status quo
  • Policymakers could align public and private sector efforts to accelerate development of fusion
  • Policymakers could build shared assets for fusion energy development.

Image courtesy of US Government Accountability Office