About this episode

The episode discusses the advancements in nuclear fusion power and its potential for commercial deployment in the near future.

The old joke about nuclear fusion power is that commercial deployment is 30 years in the future: it always has been and it always will be. It may be time to retire that joke. Private fusion companies have now raised billions in capital, and pilot plants are moving from slide decks and plans into steel and concrete. The questions now are not so much around whether fusion power can ever work, and more about how soon it can reach the grid, and at what cost Host Ed Crooks and regular contributor Amy Myers Jaffe, director of the Global Energy, Climate, & Sustainability Lab at NYU are joined by two fusion industry leaders to discuss the rapid progress they are making. Andrew Holland is founder and chief executive of the Fusion Industry Association, and Bob Mumgaard is chief executive of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, one of the companies vying to have the first commercial fusion power plant in operation. Andrew lays out the state of the sector. There are 56 private fusion companies globally, which between them have raised more than $14 billion in private capital. And there is a growing conviction inside the industry that commercial fusion could arrive in the early 2030s. Bob explains…

People in this episode

Host: Ed Crooks

Guests: Amy Myers Jaffe, Andrew Holland, Bob Mumgaard

Topics covered

• nuclear fusion
• energy technology
• commercial energy
• private investment
• future energy solutions

Keywords

• fusion power
• energy
• commercial deployment
• private companies
• pilot plants
• investment

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fusion Industry Association, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, NYU

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