Fusion power — an assessment of its potential impact in the USA

Abstract The prospects for harnessing power through the fusion of light nuclei have by turns looked doubtful and hopeful since the first research was conducted some 20 years ago. When might fusion begin to make a significant contribution to electricity generation and what will be the economic and environmental consequences? Dr Kulcinski presents possible answers to these questions and also highlights difficulties that could arise in the cost and availability of refractory metals and alloying elements for construction of magnetically-confined plasma reactors.