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ricktor67 t1_ir7sojt wrote

Reply to comment by Latin_For_King in Many scientists see fusion as the future of energy – and they're betting big. by filosoful

Theres a reason wind/solar is about the only real new investment in electricity anyone is making, its cheap(cheapest per KWH). Sure they are still making new natural gas plants but in 10 years no one will be. We have fusion power now, it literally falls out of the sky all day long. We just have to harness it. Its cheap, easy, safe, we just have to sort out storage.

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lungben81 t1_ir972t7 wrote

This is not either-or but both renewables and fusion development must be funded sufficiently.

Both are much cheaper than what we currently pay for fossile fuels.

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Starskigoat t1_ir9klnc wrote

The cost of fossil fuels never includes the cost of wars and military infrastructures to protect access to oil.

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lungben81 t1_ir9v41e wrote

Yes, and also not the environmental damage.

Both renewables and fusion power can be produced locally and with much smaller environmental footprint.

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johnpseudo t1_ira1goa wrote

Fusion is not likely to be cheap, even with sufficient research funding, and even in 10-30 years when the next generation of prototypes are ready.

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[deleted] t1_ir8ishj wrote

[removed]

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ricktor67 t1_ir8jb52 wrote

Okay, but fusion is probably still 10 years away from anything but proof of concept and 25 years away from a commercial power plant being built. In that same time we can put solar on every house roof and wind turbines in all the empty cow fields(assuming lab grown meat takes off) and knock our carbon use down by 90%.

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epi_glowworm t1_ircld8w wrote

That you can. But in that 25 years, it would be prudent to concurrently continue research into fusion (so we can have fusion in 25 years), continue installing renewables while attempting to fine tune the design and continue improvements with the knowledge that this will never be a baseline load but the load peak chasers to the existing grid, see how we can improve the humming electric lines on those pole (Like Betsy the cow running into a pole should not be the reason why power was out in town), and find out who's the person I need to talk to about getting Zoboomafoo back.

Whether we like it or not, we all have to work together to win this. But I require Zoboomafoo as a condition.

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