Optimism in US Senate on Future Benefits of Fusion Energy

'Real shot' at having fusion power on grid by early 2030s: expert

View of the toroidal chamber-magnetic (Tokamak) of the Joint European Torus (JET) at the Culham Science Centre. The JET is the largest fusion device in the world and European physicians managed to sustain 16 megawatts of energy for one second in 1997. AFP/Getty Images

Fusion energy experts spanning the government, academia, and the private sector testified on the prospects of fusion research before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Sept. 15.

“We believe we have a real shot at commercial fusion power plants on the grid starting in the early 2030s,” said Bob Mumgaard, CEO of the private fusion firm Commonwealth Fusion Systems.