title: Los Alamos should pivot to new energy vision
description: Instead of building electrical transmission lines, LANL should just invent a new type of nuclear reactor.
date: 2024-11-23
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In response to Ted Wyka, manager of the Los Alamos Nuclear Security Administrator, regarding the proposed transmission line funded by taxpayers, I find this vision for our energy future short-sighted (“Transmission line is necessary to meet Los Alamos’ energy needs,” My View, Nov. 3).
Wyka claims this is the only way to power Los Alamos National Laboratory’s supercomputers, crucial for its nuclear weapons mission. However, this perspective neglects the remarkable technological advancements already available at the lab.
Recently, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory achieved a groundbreaking milestone in nuclear fusion — successfully combining two hydrogen atoms to produce more energy than was consumed in the process. This remarkable feat was made possible using existing technologies at LANL, including supercomputers, lasers, and advanced AI for modeling and execution.
Hydrogen is one of the most abundant elements on Earth, and nuclear fusion offers the cleanest and most sustainable energy source, emitting no greenhouse gases or CO2 — only pure energy.
This is a pivotal moment for Los Alamos National Laboratory to work toward a transformative new vision, akin to a modern-day Manhattan Project, focusing on scaling nuclear fusion to meet both its needs and those of the world.
We do not need to invest taxpayer dollars in constructing unsightly, outdated power lines across beautiful, sacred tribal lands. Instead, Los Alamos has the opportunity to lead in developing groundbreaking energy technology that can provide the clean energy the world desperately needs.
I urge Los Alamos National Laboratory to embrace this challenge and build a lasting legacy — one that is not associated with nuclear weapons, but rather with pioneering the clean energy solutions our planet requires.
<i>Mark Steven Shepherd is a writer/producer/director who has live in Santa Fe for 10 years.</i>
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# Neale's Take
Livermore's fusion research project did indeed recently claim to get more energy out than they were putting in,
for a short (less than 1 second) period of time, I believe. But in order to get to that point, they needed
30 years of research, and massive amounts of electricity to set up the electromagnetic containment.
For LANL to create a similar research fusion reactor,
