What is the Difference Between Nuclear Fusion and Fission?

6. Nuclear Waste Management

Enthusiasm for nuclear power saw the commissioning of dozens of reactors over the following decades, peaking at 107 reactors in the United States by 1990. While it had many advantages, practical experience in the operation of these facilities also highlighted serious issues. The byproducts of fission, particularly high-level radioactive waste, could remain hazardous for many years. Nuclear accidents like those at Three Mile Island in 1979 and Chernobyl in 1986, demonstrated that even advanced engineering could not mitigate all the risks involved in generating nuclear power from fission sources.

One possible answer to this problem was nuclear fusion. In theory, fusion could generate even larger amounts of energy than fission without creating hazardous waste.