Accelerate Solving Energy crisis: from Fission to Fusion

Fusion involves combining light elements to create slightly heavier ones, which generates copious amounts of energy. Fusion energy is responsible for powering the universe, and if harnessed on Earth, it could serve as an unlimited energy source for civilization. This would offer numerous advantages, including zero carbon emissions, a freely available and never-ending supply of fuel, the ability to generate energy anywhere, an absence of fuel cycle meltdowns or long-lived nuclear waste, and no proliferation of fissile materials. Essentially, fusion energy could be a valuable tool in combating climate change. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that there are obstacles to overcome. In this talk, I will provide a brief overview of the multiple fusion concepts, associated performance, as well as the key challenges that cuts across most fusion concepts. I will also discuss the role of the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) in accelerating fusion energy on the grid. Specifically, I will overview the ARPAE projects relating to fusion energy.