MIT Researchers Propose 'Economic Q' Framework for Fusion Power Plant Viability

MIT professors Dennis Whyte (Nuclear Science & Engineering; CFS co-founder) and Andrew W. Lo (Sloan School of Management) published a framework in the Journal of Fusion Energy on August 10, 2026 proposing ten quantitative parameters — spanning scientific inputs, engineering durability, and capital costs — for assessing when a fusion power plant becomes commercially viable, anchored by a metric the authors call 'Economic Q': the ratio of capital generated to capital expended over a plant's operating lifetime. Whyte said the framework is 'completely agnostic to whatever fusion concept you use' because it scales to any reactor design or output level, aiming to give investors, policymakers, and developers a common yardstick independent of any single company's technology.