Igniting the Future: Fusion Power and the Road to Clean Energy with Scott Mercer

Episode notes

In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet , host Dylan Garrett talks with Scott Mercer, Founder and CEO of Focused Energy, about the future of nuclear fusion. They explore how laser-driven fusion, inspired by breakthroughs at Lawrence Livermore Labs, could offer limitless clean power by the 2030s. From physics to commercialization, Mercer shares how Focused Energy plans to bring fusion to the grid—and why this could be a game-changer for climate tech and global energy. What you will learn: How fusion energy works The laser-driven process that compresses deuterium-tritium fuel Focused Energy's approach, which builds upon the successful ignition achieved at Lawrence Livermore National Labs in 2022 The key engineering challenges How fusion energy could transform global energy systems and address climate change Scott Mercer is the CEO of Focused Energy, a pioneering company developing commercial nuclear fusion technology for energy generation. With a remarkable background in clean technology, he previously founded and led Volta, an EV charging company, for 13 years before its acquisition by Shell.