The quest for fusion as a source of abundant, clean energy has inspired scientists and innovators for decades. With climate change a global concern, the urgency and uncertainty surrounding nuclear fusion’s role in powering the planet are more relevant than ever.
A panel of experts explored this topic at Florida Polytechnic University on Monday, Oct. 13, as part of its Office of Public Policy Events’ forum series called “Fantastic Forces: Elements in Action.” Kelli Stargel, Florida Poly’s vice president of strategic initiatives, development and external relations, moderated the event.
Nuclear fusion, the intense process that powers the sun, occurs when atoms fuse together under extreme heat, releasing tremendous amounts of energy. Scientists are working to harness fusion on Earth, hoping it could provide a safe, carbon-free solution to the world’s growing energy needs and help combat climate challenges.
Fusion is fundamentally different from nuclear fission, which creates energy by smashing a dense atom into smaller pieces. Fission is the process behind traditional nuclear power and is more familiar to the public.
“The promise of fusion energy means clean, limitless electrical power,” said Dr. Jeffrey Whalen, owner and CEO of Magnetics Corporation.
Panelists also included Dr. Ian Bentley, professor and chair of Florida Poly’s Department of Physics, and James Tedder, a senior majoring in engineering physics and Bentley’s undergraduate research assistant.
Tedder said fusion’s safe development is essential as demand for power continues to grow, especially as artificial intelligence technology expands and consumes ever-greater amounts of electricity.
“The hope is to expand the concept of nuclear power and bring it to the forefront, so the public recognizes this is safe,” Tedder said. “The only thing holding us back is overcoming the worst sales pitch in history, because ‘nuclear’ is a scare word – people think about meltdowns and bombs.”
Notorious fission plant disasters at Chernobyl, Fukushima Daiichi, and Three Mile Island have resulted in deaths, evacuations and the release of harmful radiation into the environment. Whalen explained that fusion power would not carry those risks.
“The core temperatures in fusion reactors reach about 180 million degrees centigrade, the temperature of the sun, so the only way you can contain it is with strong magnetic fields that don’t actually physically touch the plasma operating at that temperature,” Whalen said. “If you lose the magnetic fields and what we call containment, the plasma just fizzles out and is gone.”
Whalen estimated that with recent public and private investment in the field, fusion power could arrive in the coming years.
The 2025-26 Fantastic Forces forum series explores how earth, air, fire and water affect the environment, economy, and daily life. The next event will take place in spring 2026.
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