A scientist working to develop a nuclear fusion energy plant in Tennessee will visit East Tennessee State University later this month to discuss the science behind it.

Dr. Nicholas Eidietis, senior scientist for plasma control at Type One Energy, will present “The Stellarator Path to Fusion Energy” on Monday, Oct. 26, at 4:15 p.m. in room 265 of Brown Hall.  

Hosted by ETSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, the lecture will introduce the physical principles behind nuclear fusion, methods for controlling the process and the role of stellarators among different approaches to fusion energy. ETSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy is part of the Phil and Martha Bachman College of Arts and Sciences at ETSU.  

“I have followed the efforts to harness nuclear fusion as an energy source on earth for decades,” said Dr. Mark Giroux, interim chair and professor in ETSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. “It will be exciting to hear how these efforts are finally coming to fruition, and we are grateful to Dr. Eidietis for taking the time to share his expertise on the science behind this effort.”  

Eidietis will also discuss Type One Energy’s Project Infinity, a multiphase fusion development project planned for the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Energy Complex in Clinton, just outside of Oak Ridge.  

The project recently reached a significant regulatory milestone. In August, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued Type One Energy the state’s first fusion-specific byproduct material license. Tennessee became the first state in the nation to issue a license under a regulatory framework specifically designed for nuclear fusion machines.

Type One Energy plans for Project Infinity to include the Infinity One stellarator, an engineering verification and workforce training platform, followed by development of Infinity Two, a proposed commercial fusion power plant using stellarator technology. The company is targeting the mid-2030s for commercial fusion deployment.

Fusion occurs when light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing large amounts of energy — the same fundamental process that powers the sun and other stars.  

According to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear fusion is considered safer than fission power, which currently powers the nation’s nuclear power plants. Because nuclear fusion does not rely on elements such as uranium and plutonium, it doesn't produce the same long-lived waste or risk of uncontrolled chain reactions.

Eidietis holds a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering and engineering physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His lecture will take audiences from the fundamentals of fusion through the components of stellarator technology and its potential application in East Tennessee.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4rSLqMv. This event is free and open to the public.