Scientists in Germany reached a major milestone when, after around 19 years in development and 1.2 billion Eutos spent, the Wendelstein 7-X created hydrogen plasma. It’s one big step closer to a fusion power plant, but it got me thinking.  Why are we doing this?  Maybe 19 years ago it mad sense, but these days, solar energy production has dropped in price to the point where it’s nearly cost competitive with fossil fuels already.  Fusion is still many years awat before a large scale design can even be considered, let alone built.  Solar is a clean energy solution that is ready to implement now.  Instead of sinking billions of dollars into fusion (the reactor in Germany is just one of many being built), we should invest that money in building large scale solar energy power plants instead.

Ah, but if we did that, what would happen?  With the economies of scale, prices of solar panels would drop even further.  More people would opt to install their own,  and maybe add a Tesla Powerwall to the system and go off grid.  Fewer customers will be available to pay for maintenance of the power grid.  It’s a disruptive technology,whereas fusion power maintains the power (literally and figuratively) in the control of large corporations.  Solar gives that control to the people.  So of course those with the money to invest opt for fusion.  But I’m not seeing how it benefits people…just corporations.