Why fusion could be a clean-energy breakthrough

The preamplifier support structure at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Damien Jemison/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory/AP)

The US Department of Energy is set to announce a “major scientific breakthrough” on Tuesday at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, one of several sites worldwide where researchers have been trying to develop the possibility of harnessing energy from nuclear fusion.

It is a technology that has the potential to one day accelerate the planet’s shift away from fossil fuels, which are the major contributors to climate change.