Yes, because the argument was never “we’ll have fusion in 20 years”, it’s always been “we COULD have fusion in 20 years IF research was properly funded”. It’s never been properly funded, hence it’s always 20 years away.
It’s a bit like my boss coming to ask me how long it would take to do project X. I tell him 6 months after we get funding. We don’t get funding. 6 months later he comes and asks me how long it would take to do project X. I tell him 6 months after we get funding. Queue shocked Pikachu face that the estimate is still 6 months, 6 months later.
That is what they said. Twenty years ago.
Yes, because the argument was never “we’ll have fusion in 20 years”, it’s always been “we COULD have fusion in 20 years IF research was properly funded”. It’s never been properly funded, hence it’s always 20 years away.
It’s a bit like my boss coming to ask me how long it would take to do project X. I tell him 6 months after we get funding. We don’t get funding. 6 months later he comes and asks me how long it would take to do project X. I tell him 6 months after we get funding. Queue shocked Pikachu face that the estimate is still 6 months, 6 months later.
Fusion would really hurt oil companies, so not going to get funded.
Not only 20 years ago.
Source: Takeda, S., Keeley, A.R. & Managi, S. How Many Years Away is Fusion Energy? A Review. J Fusion Energ 42, 16 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10894-023-00361-z
I know. They have been saying twenty years since I was very young.