Energy surplus can be as much of a problem as a benefit. If you look at most economies with baseload power, they're trying to work out how to balance it with renewables.
Much of the costs of Energy are in distribution. Fusion power is more centralised and will incur more transmission costs than renewables close to consumption.
Probably its best use is decarbonisation of steel and production of nitrate/methane feedstock for fertiliser and industry.
Energy is not equally distributed. 10x would be in the hands of energy rich economies, not helping emerging economies.
Mining and metallurgy change their inputs. That's about all.
Possibly, public mass transport moves to more electrified modes but at scale that's still just oil displacement. Again the biggest benefit would be in emerging economies or in population centres like Beijing, Delhi and Dacca. If they had mass transit by electricity the amount of smog and public health benefits would be huge.
10x is unlikely btw. Fusion does not look to be cheap. It's a huge capital investment, comparable to fission, but bigger and mainly to avoid a small waste problem at point of use (it truly is small. High intensity radioactivityis understood, its NIMBYism stopping its storage mostly), plus avoidance of a huge mining waste and proliferation problem, but the thing is even Fusion will come with proliferation risks: it's still emitting neutrons, and can still irradiate materials. Tritium, will be needed in huge supply. Maybe from.. breeder reactors?
Comments
Energy surplus can be as much of a problem as a benefit. If you look at most economies with baseload power, they're trying to work out how to balance it with renewables.
Much of the costs of Energy are in distribution. Fusion power is more centralised and will incur more transmission costs than renewables close to consumption.
Probably its best use is decarbonisation of steel and production of nitrate/methane feedstock for fertiliser and industry.
Energy is not equally distributed. 10x would be in the hands of energy rich economies, not helping emerging economies.
Mining and metallurgy change their inputs. That's about all.
Possibly, public mass transport moves to more electrified modes but at scale that's still just oil displacement. Again the biggest benefit would be in emerging economies or in population centres like Beijing, Delhi and Dacca. If they had mass transit by electricity the amount of smog and public health benefits would be huge.
10x is unlikely btw. Fusion does not look to be cheap. It's a huge capital investment, comparable to fission, but bigger and mainly to avoid a small waste problem at point of use (it truly is small. High intensity radioactivityis understood, its NIMBYism stopping its storage mostly), plus avoidance of a huge mining waste and proliferation problem, but the thing is even Fusion will come with proliferation risks: it's still emitting neutrons, and can still irradiate materials. Tritium, will be needed in huge supply. Maybe from.. breeder reactors?