Fusion has long been the holy grail of energy, because it’s clean, affordable, abundant, and safe. Let’s look at each of those attributes in detail:

How will Inertia make fusion energy work?

Inertia is the only fusion energy company built on a proven scientific breakthrough - commercializing the world’s first and only fusion approach to achieve ignition and energy gain, as demonstrated at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). With exclusive access to nearly 200 critical patents, a unique partnership with LLNL, and a leadership team that combines deep scientific expertise and entrepreneurial success, Inertia is uniquely positioned to turn decades of fusion research into scalable, cost-effective, and reliable clean energy for the world.

Is fusion energy clean? 

Fusion energy is produced when light atoms, such as hydrogen, are brought to extremely high temperatures, causing them to fuse into helium atoms, releasing energy in the process. Most fusion designs use deuterium and tritium as their fuel sources. Deuterium comes from water, and tritium is created from lithium (see below on the safety aspects of tritium, which is mildly radioactive). The byproducts of fusion are helium and energy. So, fusion doesn’t contribute any carbon or other pollutants into the environment.

What fuel does fusion energy use?

Most fusion designs use deuterium and tritium as their fuel sources. Deuterium is found in water, in fact, about 0.015% of all water is made of deuterium, and extracting that deuterium from water is a straightforward process. Tritium is created from lithium, but the lithium needed is minimal – about 20 EV batteries worth of lithium can power a city of 1 million people for a year. The byproducts of fusion are helium and energy. So, both components of the fuel for fusion are abundant on earth and easily acquired.

Is fusion energy safe? 

Fusion energy is safe both due to the fuel sources and the overall plant design.

The fuel in our power plant design is a mix of deuterium and tritium, two isotopes of hydrogen. Deuterium is naturally found in water and completely harmless. Tritium is often used in wrist watches to illuminate the face and dials. While it is mildly radioactive, tritium undergoes low-energy beta decay, which is safe externally to the body.

Our fusion plant design is also inherently safe. There is no high-pressure vessel, and no potential for runaway reactions. In the worst-case scenario, if it breaks down, it simply stops running.

Is fusion energy affordable?

The cost of electricity generated from Laser Inertial Fusion Energy is primarily driven by the plant construction and operational costs, with fuel being a minimal contributor to the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE). The first plants will be more expensive, with costs decreasing for future plants as the laser components become less expensive. The electricity from early plants is already projected to be competitive with the lowest cost forms of carbon-based energy today, and lowest cost among sources of clean energy.

What is high base-load heat and how does fusion energy provide this?

High-baseload heat is the backbone of continuous, reliable 24/7 operations: it delivers steady thermal energy to keep industrial processes, grids, and district heating running without interruption. Unlike weather-dependent renewables such as wind and solar, fusion isn’t tied to sunlight or wind speed, so it can operate at all hours and in all seasons. That round-the-clock output reduces the need for backup fuels, simplifies planning, and improves capacity.