Until you do the research and even build a functional prototype, you don't. Nobody knew nuclear power would work until it did.
This is why the very notion of the government making decisions about which processes should be implemented is unbelievably stupid.
An example, right now we're mandating CFL bulbs be used instead of incandescents, because they're roughly five times more energy efficient. This will lock us into a probably obsolete technology when LED fixture come on line, which are several times more efficient than CFLs.
Plus CFL's create a huge disposal problem due to their mercury content. Even with LED lights available, there are still some niches for incandescent bulbs. Appliance light bulbs for use in ovens is one. I'd sure hate for a CFL to break inside an oven, and LED's don't take heat very well.