Fusion power is a great hope but it won’t help with global warming now - South China Morning Post
Nuclear fusion power is a great hope but it won’t help with global warming now | South China Morning Post
Technicians carrying out inspection and maintenance in the target chamber at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, on July 7, 2008. On December 11, 2022, the laboratory said it had achieved a major scientific breakthrough in nuclear fusion research. Photo: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory/AFP
Technicians carrying out inspection and maintenance in the target chamber at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, on July 7, 2008. On December 11, 2022, the laboratory said it had achieved a major scientific breakthrough in nuclear fusion research. Photo: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory/AFP
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: nuclear
Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.