I'm asked about fusion all the time by SV bros. But I don't know any real plasma physicist who is bullish on fusion in the short run. FT: "Silicon Valley-type bullshit" Alain Bécoulet, chief scientist of the publicly funded international fusion research project ITER, says connecting a fusion power plant to the electricity grid “will never happen” within the next five to 10 years. Insiders warn that as competition for funding intensifies, companies are making overly optimistic claims about the cheapness of the electricity they hope to produce. A senior fusion executive who does not wish to be named says it is difficult to estimate costs for a technology that has never operated commercially. Some price pledges amount to companies “just making things up”, the executive says, in order to attract enough investment to continue their research — “the most Silicon Valley-type bullshit you could possibly do”.