Microsoft just made a huge, far-from-certain bet on nuclear fusion

[WVK]

Microsoft just signed a jaw-dropping agreement to purchase electricity from a nuclear fusion generator. Nuclear fusion, often called the Holy Grail of energy, is a potentially limitless source of clean energy that scientists have been chasing for the better part of a century. 

A company called Helion Energy thinks it can deliver that Holy Grail to Microsoft by 2028. It announced a power purchase agreement with Microsoft this morning that would see it plug in the world’s first commercial fusion generator to a power grid in Washington. The goal is to generate at least 50 megawatts of power — a small but significant amount and more than the 42MW that the US’s first two offshore wind farms have the capacity to generate today.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/10/23717332/microsoft-nuclear-fusion-power-plant-helion-purchase-agreement

[Alchopwn]

This is a pretty momentous step.  Fusion tech has been moving ahead a great deal recently.  Yes, it is a gamble for Microsoft, but if this works, it changes everything.

[iAlrakis]

Seen some vids on YT about Helion's attempts/progress.  It looks promising and all make sense when they explain the process but I'm not smart enough to decide how realistic it all is.