Final Report of the Committee on a Strategic Plan for U.S. Burning Plasma Research
2019

Consensus

You must be logged in to download this publication.

Select Book Type

Paperback - $85.50
Ebook - $67.49

See project
Request an exam or desk copy

Fusion offers the prospect of virtually unlimited energy. The United States and many nations around the world have made enormous progress toward achieving fusion energy. With ITER scheduled to go online within a decade and demonstrate controlled fusion ten years later, now is the right time for the United States to develop plans to benefit from its investment in burning plasma research and take steps to develop fusion electricity for the nation's future energy needs. At the request of the Department of Energy, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine organized a committee to develop a strategic plan for U.S. fusion research. The final report's two main recommendations are: (1) The United States should remain an ITER partner as the most cost-effective way to gain experience with a burning plasma at the scale of a power plant. (2) The United States should start a national program of accompanying research and technology leading to the construction of a compact pilot plant that produces electricity from fusion at the lowest possible capital cost.

Additional materials

Press Release
Public Briefing Slides

Publication information

340 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-48743-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-48744-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25331

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Final Report of the Committee on a Strategic Plan for U.S. Burning Plasma Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Bibtext
EndNote
Reference manager

First Name
Last Name
Email (required)
I agree to receive emails from the National Academies (required)

We respect your privacy and will never share your information.

Search this publication

Front Matter i-xvi
Executive Summary 1-3
1 Introduction 4-19
2 Progress in Burning Plasma Science and Technology 20-59
3 Extending the Frontier of Burning Plasma Research 60-88
4 Advancing Magnetic Fusion Toward an Economical Energy Source 89-133
5 Strategic Guidance for a National Program for Burning Plasma Science and Technology 134-152
6 Comments on Organizational Structure and Program Balance 153-172
Appendixes 173-174
Appendix A: Statement of Task 175-176
Appendix B: Agendas from Committee Meetings and Site Visits 177-184
Appendix C: Strategic Planning for U.S. Burning Plasma Research from 2000 to 2018 185-198
Appendix D: Bibliography of Previous Studies Consulted by the Committee 199-201
Appendix E: Published Technical References Consulted by the Committee 202-212
Appendix F: Summary of Input Received from the Fusion Community 213-220
Appendix G: Major Research Facilities of the United States and Other Nations 221-239
Appendix H: Schedule and Budget Implications 240-250
Appendix I: Interim Report of the Committee on a Strategic Plan for U.S. Burning Plasma Research 251-312
Appendix J: Biographies of Committee Members 313-320
Appendix K: Acronyms 321-324

Log In

Former MyNAP users: You'll need to reset your password on your first login to MyAcademies. Click "Forgot password" below to receive a reset link via email. Having trouble? Visit our FAQ page to contact support.

Members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, or National Academy of Medicine should log in through their respective Academy portals.

Email (required)
Password (required)

Don't have an account?

Register

Email (required)
New password (required)
Retype password (required) Password must be at least 8 characters
I accept the terms of use
terms of use

Thank You

Thank you for creating a MyAcademies account!

Enjoy free access to thousands of National Academies' publications, a 10% discount off every purchase, and build your personal library.

Forgot Password

Enter the email address for your MyAcademies (formerly MyNAP) account to receive password reset instructions.

Email (required)

Reset Requested

We sent password reset instructions to your email . Follow the link in that email to create a new password. Didn't receive it? Check your spam folder or contact us for assistance.

Reset Password

New password (required)
Retype password (required) Password must be at least 8 characters

Reset Password

Your password has been reset.

Verify email

Verify Your Email Address

We sent a verification link to your email. Please check your inbox (and spam folder) and follow the link to verify your email address. If you did not receive the email, you can request a new verification link below

Final Report of the Committee on a Strategic Plan for U.S. Burning Plasma Research (2019)

Chapter: Executive Summary

Additional materials

Publication information

Suggested citation

My Academies

Final Report of the Committee on a Strategic Plan for U.S. Burning Plasma Research (2019)

Chapter: Executive Summary