US Department Of Energy Officially Confirms Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) confirmed this morning that historic progress has been made in the pursuit of usable nuclear fusion energy. Yesterday, anonymous sources told the media that a net gain nuclear fusion — meaning one that created more energy than it consumed — has been achieved for the first time after decades of research. In today's press release, the DOE and the National Nuclear Security Administration reaffirmed that this achievement happened at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory laser-based ignition facility in Livermore, California on December 5. The DOE referred to the milestone as a "scientific energy breakeven."

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm stated that the achievement not only validates entire lifetimes of research at the Livermore facility, but also "will undoubtedly spark even more discovery." The laser at Livermore is the biggest laser system in the world — as big as a sports stadium, the DOE says. "Today's milestone shows what we can do with perseverance," added President Biden's Chief Advisor for Science and Technology, Dr. Arati Prabhakar. 

Nuclear fusion energy is still a long way from powering our world. Currently, that power would be far from affordable, and the technology needed to harness the energy from nuclear fusion and translate it to an electrical grid still isn't fully developed. Nuclear fusion occurs when two nuclei are combined, which emits a huge burst of energy. These reactions are far from easy to instigate, though. For one, each reaction is so intense that it is likely to break or burn out the equipment needed for it. And currently, nuclear power requires more energy to produce than wind or solar power. 

However, according to the Department of Energy's press release, with the high interest in nuclear fusion investment in the private sector, maintaining momentum in the research isn't difficult. This research will also receive a multi-billion-dollar cash infusion as part of the Biden Administration's climate change and clean power goals.