A blueprint for scalable fusion power
From Catalyst with Shayle Kann by Latitude Media
May 21, 2026 · 41 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the challenges and strategies in developing scalable nuclear fusion power with insights from Carrie von Muench.
For years, the prospect of commercial nuclear fusion felt a long way off. But recent breakthroughs—like Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s historic 2022 net energy gain—have marked a new chapter in the quest for fusion. Proving the physics in a lab, however, is a lot different than building a power plant that can compete on the open grid. Massive hurdles remain across physics, financing, and scaling. In this episode, host Shayle Kann sits down with Carrie von Muench, COO of Pacific Fusion and a former venture capitalist. Carrie brings a unique, investor-minded perspective to this singular challenge. Shayle and Carrie dive into topics like: Net facility gain, and the difference between breaking even at a target level versus breaking even across a facility’s tech stack. The distinctions between steady-state and inertial fusion Why Pacific Fusion is focused on building modular reactors The company’s strategy of utilizing widely accessible commodities like oil, plastic, metal, and water instead of specialized materials that rely on shaky supply chains. Unpacking the “ignition cliff;”the point at which a nuclear reactor shifts from relying on outside inputs to producing energy…
People in this episode
Host: Shayle Kann
Guest: Carrie von Muench
Topics covered
- nuclear fusion
- energy production
- investment strategies
- modular reactors
- supply chain
- capital deployment
Keywords
- nuclear fusion
- energy gain
- modular reactors
- investment
- supply chain
- capital strategy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Pacific Fusion, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
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