▁fusion ▁power ▁has ▁little ▁in ▁common ▁with ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁technology , ▁and ▁does ▁not ▁produce ▁the ▁f iss ile ▁materials ▁necessary ▁for ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁weapon . ▁Pro ponents ▁note ▁that ▁large - scale ▁fusion ▁power ▁would ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁produce ▁reliable ▁electric ity ▁on ▁demand , ▁and ▁with ▁virt ually ▁zero ▁poll ution ▁( no ▁g ase ous ▁CO 2 , ▁SO 2 , ▁or ▁NO x ▁by - products ▁are ▁produced ). ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁research ers ▁at ▁a ▁demonstr ation ▁re actor ▁in ▁Japan , ▁a ▁fusion ▁generator ▁should ▁be ▁feas ible ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 3 0 s ▁and ▁no ▁later ▁than ▁the ▁ 2 0 5 0 s . ▁Japan ▁is ▁purs uing ▁its ▁own ▁research ▁program ▁with ▁several ▁oper ational ▁facilities ▁that ▁are ▁expl oring ▁several ▁fusion ▁paths . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁alone , ▁electric ity ▁accounts ▁for ▁US $ 2 1 0 ▁billion ▁in ▁annual ▁sales . ▁Asia ' s ▁electric ity ▁sector ▁attract ed ▁US $ 9 3 ▁billion ▁in ▁private ▁invest ment ▁between ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁These ▁figures ▁take ▁into ▁account ▁only ▁current ▁prices . ▁Pro ponents ▁of ▁I TER ▁cont end ▁that ▁an ▁invest ment ▁in ▁research ▁now ▁should ▁be ▁viewed ▁as ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁ear n ▁a ▁far ▁greater ▁future ▁return . ▁Also , ▁world wide ▁invest ment ▁of ▁less ▁than ▁US $ 1 ▁billion ▁per ▁year ▁into ▁I TER ▁is ▁not ▁in compatible ▁with ▁concurrent ▁research ▁into ▁other