Current renewable energy sources are a good start in the alternative energy field. Unfortunately, they will never be able to completely satisfy the insatiable and increasing thirst for energy/electricity of our world. Fusion power derived from hydrogen in seawater will substantially and in an environmentally responsible way fill the gap.
- The world will need significantly increased energy supply in the future, especially cleanly-generated electricity.
- Electricity demand is increasing about twice as fast as overall energy use and is likely to rise by more than half to 2040.
- Nuclear power provides over 10% of the world’s electricity, and 18% of electricity in OECD countries.
- Almost all reports on future energy supply from major organizations suggest an increasing role for nuclear power as an environmentally benign way of producing reliable electricity on a large scale.
The US is currently decommissioning aging nuclear reactors but our electricity demand is not going down. Oil, coal, and natural gas generated plants are being pressed into taking up the slack. However, emissions generated and the unintended consequences in harvesting the raw materials for this type of power generation are counter-productive to our desire to save the planet.
In addition to our well-known fission nuclear generators, which do not produce carbon emissions, a new nuclear generator will soon be available. Instead of fission with all the known hazards and nuclear waste products, fusion power, using hydrogen from water: fresh, seawater, processed wastewater, or even ice, instead of radioactive materials, is on the near horizon. Not 20 or 30 years out as in the ITER project (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) a seven-country collaborative experiment to develop fusion power.
Fusion power in the form of Small Modular Reactors is the answer for safe commercial use. US Nuclear Corp’s partner, Magneto-Inertial Fusion Technologies, Inc (MIFTI) has developed cutting edge technology to get fusion power to the market place years before such projects as ITER will come on line. This fusion reactor, MIFGEN is scalable to the need of the area. Providing micro-grid power to cities, neighborhoods, transportation hubs, military installations and remote locations this fusion power fits the bill for an immediate source of power that is safe, clean, and cost effective.
Moving away from fission power and its risks and hazardous waste is common sense but we still need the supply of energy provided by nuclear power. The development and use of thermonuclear fusion energy will go far to both meet our essential energy demand and do it in a cost effective, safe manner without impact to our environment.