The road to sustainable fusion power

Fusion energy has the potential to provide a vital, environmentally attractive energy option for a growing world population in the next century and beyond. While the development of a new energy source is not a critical near term need for the USA, there is a need to develop long term energy options that alleviate the environmental problems associated with fossil fuels. Presently, a worldwide fusion energy R&D program is working toward the goal of establishing the scientific and technological foundations for fusion energy. This paper concentrates on issues related to determining the scientific feasibility of fusion using magnetic confinement.