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A recent analysis in Nature raises a familiar concern: that fusion may struggle to become economically competitive. Like many early assessments of emerging technologies, it is shaped by assumptions that may no longer hold. Two, in particular, stand out.

National water infrastructure is inherently power-intensive. Treatment plants, desalination facilities, and pumping systems depend on continuous, reliable electricity to meet regulatory and public-health requirements. As grid reliability and long-term energy predictability become less certain, power availability is emerging as a defining constraint on water system resilience and expansion.

Large-scale power outages around the world have shown how quickly electricity disruptions cascade into transportation shutdowns, communication failures, and economic losses across entire regions.

Discussions about advanced energy technologies often focus on large, centralized systems designed to feed national grids. These grid-scale projects are optimized for maximum output, long development timelines, and integration with existing transmission infrastructure. While this approach remains essential for many applications, it does not address every energy need. A growing share of demand comes from users who require power where it is consumed, not where the grid happens t