The fusion breakthrough that the US Energy Department announced this week is scientifically significant, but the significance relates to the monitoring of the country's nuclear weapons stockpike, not to clean electricity generation.
But turning the newest breakthrough at a U.S. Energy Department lab into abundant, carbon-free power may require hundreds of billions of dollars. And many technical hurdles await.
Zap Energy said its experimental reactor core was ready for a milestone test. Skeptics routinely question whether the technology is currently possible.
