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What about just nationalizing the entire energy industry and everything related, instead of trying to work within the parameters of a free market for something with so many externalities?

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Interesting. It’s possible the government could run it well but I would worry without a profit motive they might not adjust to supply and demand quickly and might not pursue new technologies like fusion.

fission and fusion did not begin with private interest at heart. Not everything should be profit motivated, especially with public goods.[0]

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_good_(economics)

energy research is typically publicly funded, no? With a profit motive, why would you even do anything besides the easiest and cheapest option of burning fossil fuels?

Fusion research, especially, is so pie-in-the-sky right now that I doubt any profit-motivated company would even touch it with a 10 foot pole.

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