Civilization needs abundant sustainable energy – Fusion breeding may be best

In a mid-century world with 10 billion people, each person will demand a middle class life style, namely a lifestyle which uses about the same power per capita, 5kW, as the citizens of the OECD countries.  Hence the total world power should be 40-50 TW, depending on how much the efficiency of energy use increases between now and mid-century.   In other words, at least triple the energy of what is used now, will be needed.   While non-sustainable sources (i.e. hydrocarbons and mined 235U) can support this lifestyle, for a while, these sources will be depleted in 1/3 the time estimated on the basis of today’s use.  While solar and wind are certainly sustainable, this paper makes the case that they cannot produce nearly the required power at anything like an economic price.  Pure fusion almost certainly cannot either, at least in this century.  The inescapable conclusion is that breeding nuclear fuel is the only option.  Either fission or fusion can be used to breed fissile material.  This paper makes the case that despite the head start fission breeding has, fusion breeding is ultimately the best choice.  One fusion breeder can fuel at least 5 thermal reactors of equal power.  It takes two fission breeders at maximum breeding rate to fuel one.  Fusion breeding can be a key part of what this author has called ‘The Energy Park”, a power infrastructure that is economically and environmentally viable and has virtually no proliferation risk.