Long an underdog in an underdog field, stellarators are now in the running to produce fusion energy. Both the stellarator concept—confining plasma with external magnets in a complex geometry—and, more broadly, fusion energy development have benefited over the past decade from scientific and technological advances, a push for green energy, and burgeoning investor interest. Stellarators gained attention in January when one startup, Thea Energy, was the first of eight companies pursuing five fusion concepts to complete an early design review as part of the Department of Energy’s Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program.
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