# Lockheed claims to be 4 years away from fusion power plant **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 5, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058 "2013-03-05T01:31:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/1 "2013-03-05T01:31:19Z")
A couple of weeks ago a spokesman from the Lockheed Skunkworks gave a speech at a TED-like event where he claimed that his team was 4 years away from having a mass-produced fusion reactor the size of a shipping container. Here’s his speech: [Charles Chase on energy for everyone - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAsRFVbcyUY&feature=player_embedded) Obviously, such a development, if true, would rock the globe. Mass-produced cheap fusion power would trigger a revolutionary transformation of the entire world economy, and produce a large political upheaval. Overnight Lockheed would become the most powerful corporation in the world. So it seems a little odd that such a transformative technology would be announced in such a weird backdoor fashion. So, based on the claims that Charles Chase is making in the video, is it likely that they’ve actually had a breakthrough? Or is it just smoke and mirrors? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/2 "2013-03-05T03:02:33Z")
Fusion power plant does not necessarily equal cheap electricity. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/3 "2013-03-05T03:29:39Z")
This[GD thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=545662)continues on this revelation in post #34. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/4 "2013-03-05T03:30:18Z")
I just googled “Charles Chase” lockheed and I see no indication at all that he’s associated with the company except his own LinkedIn page. I smell something unskunklike. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/5 "2013-03-05T03:42:39Z")
[POST=16036810]Another thread on the same topic.[/POST] Stranger ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/6 "2013-03-05T04:02:22Z")
The bottom line is that if Lockheed really did have something like this close to beta and they wanted to leak it, the person they chose to do it would have an easily discoverable pedigree. Not only that, he probably even have some sort of tacit approval, i.e., ‘when asked to comment a Lockheed spokesperson would only say that Mr. Chase has been with the company for many years and is a valued employee.’ [wink, wink] This guy has none of that. Show me a single credible cite that even hints he works for Lockheed in some capacity other than janitorial services and I’ll STFU. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/7 "2013-03-05T04:56:50Z")
Maybe Mr. Chase has a bunch of Lockheed stock he wishes to unload at a profit. I suspect I wish I had some I had purchased a few months ago. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/8 "2013-03-05T05:06:00Z")
Considering the problems with the F-35 and the sequestrations you comment made me curious so I went back to look at a chart. You’re probably thinking about [some time around mid-November](http://stockcharts.com/freecharts/gallery.html?lmt). It was a real scary ride after that though. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/9 "2013-03-05T05:16:03Z")
Practical fusion power is about 50 years away, provided that the funding situation holds. It’s just not something a single company can develop out of the blue, independently of all other researchers. There are myriad little advances that need to be made along the way, and we’d have heard if Lockheed were involved in any of those. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/10 "2013-03-05T05:34:40Z")
[one synopsis of the video](http://www.dvice.com/2013-2-22/lockheeds-skunk-works-promises-fusion-power-four-years): > [@](#): > > … predicting a 100mW prototype by 2017, with commercial 100mW systems available by 2022, implying that all global energy demands will be able to be met by fusion power by about 2045. No more oil, no more coal, no more nuclear, and not even any solar or wind or hydro will be necessary (unless you’re into that sort of thing): fusion has the potential to produce as much affordable clean power as we’ll ever need, for the entire world. Okay, yeah, I remember (reading about) the 50s, when fission was going to provide power “too cheap to meter”. I am certainly old enough to remember pons-and-fleischman. How many grains of salt is this going to require? Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/11 "2013-03-05T08:37:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Practical fusion power is about 50 years away It’s always 50 years away 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/12 "2013-03-05T12:22:21Z")
> [@For You](#): > > [one synopsis of the video](http://www.dvice.com/2013-2-22/lockheeds-skunk-works-promises-fusion-power-four-years): … predicting a 100mW prototype by 2017, with commercial 100mW systems available by 2022, implying that all global energy demands will be able to be met by fusion power by about 2045. No more oil, no more coal, no more nuclear, and not even any solar or wind or hydro will be necessary (unless you’re into that sort of thing): fusion has the potential to produce as much affordable clean power as we’ll ever need, for the entire world. Wow, 100mW! I assume that’s net? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/13 "2013-03-05T12:29:01Z")
He was probably referring to a _cold_ fusion power plant. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/14 "2013-03-05T12:39:42Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s always 50 years away Mostly, because the funding situation never seems to hold. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/15 "2013-03-05T12:41:16Z")
I don’t see what’s so impressive about 100 milliwatts. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/16 "2013-03-05T12:43:57Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > Wow, 100mW! I assume that’s net? That’s nearly enough to drive four LEDs. Impressive! ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/17 "2013-03-05T12:52:11Z")
Even if it were true, how would fusion make cars go or airplanes fly? Isn’t all that stuff to makie fusion happen way too bulky to put inside those things? ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/18 "2013-03-05T13:20:12Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > That’s nearly enough to drive four LEDs. Impressive! Yes, but better LEDs will come along the way. By 2022 100mW will be able to power 6 (six) LEDs!!! 😃 Or maybe milliWatts in 2022 will pack more power than the ones we have today. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/19 "2013-03-05T13:28:14Z")
> [@For You](#): > > How many grains of salt is this going to require? Sigh. Try lumps of halite > [@Shakes](#): > > Even if it were true, how would fusion make cars go or airplanes fly? > > Isn’t all that stuff to makie fusion happen way too bulky to put inside those things? If you had an energy source cheap enough, you could synthesize liquid fuel out of coal and water. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058/20 "2013-03-05T14:11:43Z")
If your energy is cheap enough you can even take the carbon out of the air, combine that with hydrogen from water and synthesize useful liquid fuels, and nip that global warming thing in the bud. As a bonus, you’ll also be creating plenty of cheap oxygen we can use to keep the rapidly growing population of old people alive. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lockheed-claims-to-be-4-years-away-from-fusion-power-plant/652058.md?page=2)