With Fusion Energy a Distant Dream, One Firm Finds Commercial Success Now

‘We’re using forms of fusion, simpler confinement systems, that can address real market needs today,’ SHINE Technologies CEO Greg Piefer said.

A technician uses low-level fusion to produce lutetium-177, a radioisotope used to fight cancers. Courtesy of SHINE Technologies

Although scientists have made enormous strides toward making fusion a viable energy source, success seems perennially a decade away. 

In line with the Trump administration’s stated determination to “unleash American energy,” the Department of Energy on Oct. 16 released a fusion roadmap.