WHEN SHOULD WE START? As we have seen, the long development time required to have significant generating capacity in place coupled with the growing pressures on the world's fossil fuel resources indicate that the U.S. should start the development of a new nondepletable energy source now. There really are only two meaningful options for the long term: The fusion reactor and the power satellite. We should support meaningful research that might lead to a breakthrough in the development of a fusion reactor. But since we do not know when this breakthrough may occur or what its development time will be, we should also support the development of the power satellite option. And if detailed studies continue to promise economic feasibility, the funding priority for the power satellite program should be increased. Until an economic nondepletable energy source is developed, conservation may reduce demand, but coal and fission reactors must be called upon to carry the main load if oil is to remain available for transport requirements.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==