Yes, and even if it takes 20 years, 50 years, 100 years, or longer, the effort will ultimately be worthwhile for the later generations who do benefit from the efforts made by the earlier generations. If the benefits are suddenly realized in the current generation, so much the better. in any event, the effort must start sometime, the sooner the better.
The human benefits of nearly unlimited energy are staggering. As for the geopolitical benefits, those are even better.
The Lockheed Martin/Skunk Works project is not working in isolation. There are now about 6 US based small fusion company projects and about 40 college and institutional fusion programs around the USA — not counting the big fusion programs.
In fourth generation modular fission reactors the most interesting work is being done by 4-6 small msr & lftr companies.
All these companies promise to be able to cut the cost of electricity by 1/4-1/10 th current cheapest cost coal/natural gas/hydro.
This is the real 21st century energy revolution.
The most significant consequences of dirt cheap energy will be that desalination and transport will make it cheap to send desalinized ocean water 1000 miles inland to any desert in the world to grow crops competitively, basically turn the deserts green and double the size of the habitable earth.
The habitable size of the USA will grow by 1/3 and the habitable size of Mexico will triple.
This world changing stuff is what Americans and America do and have done habitually for over 200 years..
The democrats are trying to do world changing energy work with their renewable energy/wind solar/biofuels projects and in ten plus years these energy sources will be as cheap everywhere as the cheapest coal is now.
But renewable energy sources that merely meet today’s energy prices are not what makes for serious energy revolutions —which by definition collapse the price of energy and thereby increase the wealth of nations big time. (As happened when 19th century steam engines replaced water wheels and 20th century electricity and oil replaced 19th century steam engines.)
The republican party as part of its agenda needs to embrace the various nuclear research projects not just to one up the democrats but to do the real work of creating a true 21st century civilization.