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I totally disagree, but accept that maybe Musk might have not been the best example.

Better ones, driven by the government (albeit during a hot and cold war): the Manhattan Project and landing humans on the Moon, respectively.

Both had insane timelines, no clear or certainty of success but the pressure, backing and motivation delivered.

We need more of this, and yesterday.



> We need more of this, and yesterday.

But only where there would appear to be a benefit.

Fusion power generation will almost certainly operate like fission, in that it will need steam turbines, generators, elaborate cooling systems, and water treatment plants for the turbines and cooling.

The operation and maintenance on these alone is higher than that for wind or solar--never mind the operation of the reactor itself. The capital costs just for these modules are almost certainly higher too.

The project risk as seen by investors (delay, cancellation for social or undiscovered geotechnical reasons) is higher too.

So: generating electricity is not a use for fusion.

Fusion may have uses in scientific discovery. But a putative fusion power plant would operate well inside the limits of our knowledge, for reliability and safety reasons, so it would be no help there.




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