Commercializing Fusion Energy

Commercializing Fusion Energy: An entirely new energy source is closer than you think
Event hosted by Stanford Alumni for Climate Action on May 9th 2024, featuring:
- Dr. Edward Moses, CEO and Founder of Longview Fusion Energy Systems
- Dr. Mike Dunne, Professor of Photon Science, Stanford University
- Deborah C. Gordon, Moderator
Fusion powers our Sun, all the stars in the universe, and sustains life on Earth. Fusion is the Holy Grail of energy - safe, sustainable, and carbon-free. Fusion fuel the mass of a raisin contains enough energy to power a typical home for several years, displacing the burning of 12 tons of coal that would create 25 tons of carbon dioxide.
For more than 75 years, it has been a dream to recreate the Sun’s fusion energy here on Earth. Even though tens of billions of dollars have been expended by teams of scientists and engineers working around the world on a variety of fusion approaches, there has been no experimental proof that the fusion energy dream could be realized.
That was, until December 5, 2022. Everything changed when, at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world's largest and most energetic laser was pointed at a peppercorn-sized target and a tiny Sun was created on Earth. More fusion energy was produced than the laser energy needed to ignite the fusion fuel. This has been repeated many times since with increasing energy gain.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm referred to it as "One of the most impressive scientific feats of the 21st century." Some have likened it to the historic "Kitty Hawk moment” when the Wright Brothers were the first to successfully fly a piloted aircraft.
Like Kitty Hawk, fusion energy gain at the NIF is of those historical “before and after” moments. The challenge now is to convert fusion physics proof to baseload commercial power, providing large-scale, sustainable, zero-emission electricity. Fusion energy can also be used for powering the hydrogen economy, and creating low-carbon commodities including fertilizers, syn-fuels, cement, and steel, and to de-carbonize the desalination of water. The fusion industry and its applications can be a multi-trillion-dollar business for decades to come.
Our guests will discuss how this will occur in the next few years.
Speaker Bios
Dr. Edward Moses - Dr. Edward Moses is the Founder and CEO of Longview Fusion Energy Systems, focused on making cost-effective laser fusion energy a reality for the grid within the next decade. He was the Director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s most energetic laser, and the only facility on Earth where fusion with energy gain has been demonstrated. He founded the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) Program, driving the development of a preliminary design for a commercially viable fusion power plant in collaboration with leading electric power utilities. Dr. Moses has a diverse background in high technology, having also served as the President of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization, overseeing the creation of the next generation of ground-based telescopes. He also led the Peregrine Cancer Treatment System through FDA approval and into the medical marketplace.
Dr. Michael Dunne - Professor of Photon Science at Stanford University, an Associate Laboratory Director at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and Director of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) - a multi-billion dollar research facility funded by the US Department of Energy. He was director for Laser Fusion Energy at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), where his role was to develop a comprehensive technology development plan and integrated fusion power plant design to ensure full advantage can be taken of the US National Ignition Facility (NIF).
Deborah C. Gordon, Moderator - Senior Advisor, Longview Fusion Energy Systems. Ms. Gordon is an Affiliate at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University and served for 22 years as the Executive Director of the Stanford-Harvard Preventive Defense Project. Ms. Gordon serves on the Boards of Directors of the Council on Strategic Risks, the Arms Control Association, and Probability Management, and is the founder and director (emerita) for Technology for Global Security. Ms. Gordon is the former Mayor of Woodside, CA; the Chair and Director of the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County; and Chair for many California State policy advisory bodies including energy and water policy.