No one has made fusion power viable yet. Why is Big Tech investing billions?

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🗞️ Driving the news: The race to commercialize fusion energy has gained significant momentum, with major tech companies and investors committing billions to fusion start-ups 
• Companies such as Commonwealth Fusion Systems and TAE Technologies, in collaboration with giants like Google, are pushing for breakthroughs in fusion reactors, which could offer a limitless and clean energy source in the coming decades

🔭 The context: Fusion energy, long regarded as a distant dream, has been spurred by recent scientific advancements, including a breakthrough in 2022 where a fusion reaction produced more energy than it consumed
• This has encouraged both private investors and governments, especially in the face of rising energy demands, particularly from industries like artificial intelligence, which could heavily rely on fusion energy in the future

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Fusion power could revolutionize the global energy landscape, providing a sustainable, carbon-free energy source
• However, the technology remains far from commercial viability, facing substantial technical and engineering hurdles, particularly in sustaining the fusion reaction
• The push for fusion comes at a time when clean energy solutions are urgently needed to combat climate change

⏭️ What's next: The fusion industry is moving quickly, with companies racing to develop reactors capable of sustained fusion reactions
• While some experts predict fusion could contribute to the energy grid within the next decade, others caution that it may take several decades before commercial viability is realized
• Global competition, especially with China's rapid progress in fusion and nuclear technologies, is likely to drive both innovation and investment

💬 One quote: "This really has the ability to change the world." – Genevieve Kinney, General Catalyst partner, discussing the potential of fusion power

📈 One stat: Over $8 billion in private investment has flowed into fusion energy start-ups, most of it in the last four years

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of leading fusion energy companies like Constellation Energy, and Westinghouse Electric Company

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