People hold up fusion as the greatest invention humanity may possibly create. Investors and governments have put countless billions into it. What they don’t want to hear is how little it will ever be utilized.

Fusion power is and will be of limited usefulness and will provide zero or negative returns for most investors. The problem is that billions are being poured into fusion research and a commercially viable reactor is still most likely years away. We still can’t even get fusion to generate more electricity than is expended to start the reaction. So many expenses will be incurred that by the time commercial reactors are feasible, renewables and energy efficiency will have already taken over most of our energy needs. Furthermore the expenses to actually build reactors are incredible.

The biggest problems with fusion are that it wouldn’t be available for commercial application for years (most likely 10). They are still trying to make it commercially viable, and each fusion power plant will cost at least a billion dollars.

Renewables will take off, and solar, wind, and hydro will make end fossil and fission fuels. Simply put fusion will be too little, too late.

It’s only practical application would be in an aircraft carrier or a submarine. The US and other navies have been known to use fission reactors in their warships. Fusion reactors will work well in those situations. But by that time, we may have already discovered renewable ways to power them.