Sometimes, I got the impression this sums it up quite well:
What is definitely not a hoax is the unfortunate insecurity of European energy supplies – and I think that is the reason for local government’s ongoing energy and environmental propaganda. In the real world I think the French will continue to do better in this regard than other European countries, and ITER does keep some of their scientists minds occupied. Nothing wrong with that, particularly within the French paradigm of government as a tool to demonstrate and promote national capability. The French also seem to do well with their aviation infrastructure, it seems to me with the same reasoning.
mh, I agree that we cannot wait for fusion to happen and we should go full steam on solar energy in particular, especially finding ways to increase the efficiency of PV solar panels. As to petroleum, what a waste to burn it in the first place. Save what’s left please for other useful products like plastics.
Pretty hard though to power a typical western country completely by renewables even assuming progress in PV panel technology. It would always need a mix with other forms of renewables. (Search for ‘David MacKay- without the hot air’, excellent reading, finally underpinning the issue with some real numbers). And covering large parts of the Sahara with solar panels to provide Europe with energy also poses an interesting political risk.
Can’t wait to cover a hangar with solar panels, and for next gen batteries to come on line and fly electric. Did so with my cars. Feels pretty good.. I assume that will happen before I get this LM engine 
Short of some dramatic breakthrough, PV is going nowhere and has been going nowhere since about the 1970s. The only real change is in the subsidies.
Fusion clearly does work (the whole universe runs on it) so it is “only” a matter of R&D to make it work for power generation.
However, it will never make a small engine because it just makes heat, so you need something to turn the heat into something useful. Basically you will need the whole back end of a standard power station i.e. the steam cycle. That is at best 40% efficient but hey if you are making gigawatts of heat by burning deuterium (0.1% of seawater i.e. free) you don’t care.
That is at best 40% efficient
Bottoming cycles help too 
Aard, I think PV is the wrong way due to the rare materials used and the direct dependence of sun radiation. I think STE is the way to go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_thermal_energy
