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Fusion meaning

Published by a LexisNexis Energy expert
What does Fusion mean?
In legal practice, fusion (also called nuclear or thermonuclear fusion) describes energy generation in which two or more light atomic nuclei fuse to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy. It is a descriptive term rather than a defined statutory concept, but it appears across energy, planning, environmental and health and safety regulation. In Great Britain, policy is to regulate fusion facilities outside the Nuclear Installations Act 1965: oversight is by the Health and Safety Executive and the environmental regulators (Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and SEPA), with the Office for Nuclear Regulation involved in safeguards and security concerning radioactive materials such as tritium. Planning permission and environmental permits will be required. In Northern Ireland, HSENI and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency perform equivalent roles. In Ireland, regulation sits within general planning, health and safety and environmental law, alongside Euratom-derived radiation protection rules administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (Office for Radiological Protection). Usage is broadly consistent across the UK and Ireland; differences are institutional. Fusion third‑party liability and insurance are typically dealt with under ordinary civil liability, unlike fission’s specialised nuclear regimes. The framework is evolving; check current legislation and regulator guidance.
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NEWS
Energy law weekly update, 9 May 2024: climate plan ruling, Ofgem LFCRP, Great Grid Partnership, CCS licensing round, fusion NPS, CO2 transport, EU gas CAM NC and EPBD

In this issue: Key developments and materials Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Networks and network connections Conventional power, waste to energy, biomass, and CHP projects Nuclear energy Air emissions, efficiency, and climate change International energy Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Key developments and materials Friends of the Earth has won a pivotal High Court judgment against the government, with the court ruling that the climate strategy advanced by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero is unlawful. The court determined that adopting the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan contravened the Climate Change Act 2008. See: LNB News 03/05/2024 70. Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Ofgem has released its conclusions on the consultation regarding updates to the licence fee cost recovery principles (LFCRP) and issued the LFCRP for May 2024. After reviewing consultees’ submissions, Ofgem confirmed it...

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NEWS
UK and EU energy law: Ofgem RFPR changes, Finch Scope 3 ruling, fusion NPS consultation, EU market reform and Net Zero Industry Act, and EU withdrawal from Energy Charter Treaty

In this issue Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Renewable energy Nuclear energy Air emissions, efficiency, and climate change International energy LexTalk®Energy: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Ofgem has confirmed changes to the Regulatory Financial Performance Reporting (RFPR) template and guidance for RIIO‑2, intended to sharpen and clarify what network licensees must report. The revisions apply from 28 June 2024 and follow Ofgem’s earlier notice proposing amendments to the RFPR template and guidance for RIIO‑2. See: LNB News 01/07/2024 9. Electricity Code Modifications: National Grid ESO’s Modification Tracker now brings together all live changes to the Connection and Use of System Code (CUSC), the Grid Code (GD), the System Owner -Transmission Owner Code (STC) and the Security and Quality Supply Standard (SQSS). The tracker outlines each proposal’s purpose, the stakeholders impacted, Panel views...

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NEWS
Weekly energy law update: security package, market codes, renewables, LDES, hydrogen/CCUS, nuclear reforms, planning rights and climate levy—key consultations, statutory instruments and practitioner deadlines

In this issue: Key developments and materials Electricity and gas market regulation, licensing and taxation Renewable energy Capacity Market, balancing services and energy system flexibility Hydrogen, CCUS and emerging technologies Nuclear energy Planning issues in energy projects Air emissions, efficiency, and climate change New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Energy resources on Lexis+® Daily and weekly news alerts Key developments and materials DESNZ announces accelerated measures to boost UK energy security DESNZ has unveiled a suite of actions to reinforce and speed up the UK’s energy security in light of events in the Middle East. For the first time, ‘plug-in solar’ will be permitted in the UK. The department plans to advance the next annual renewables auction to July 2026 and has confirmed that the government will adopt the Fingleton Review’s recommendations to hasten delivery of nuclear power stations. It has also moved to safeguard consumers, working...

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View the related Practice Notes about Fusion

PRACTICE NOTES
Archived index and summaries of The Journal of Renewable Energy Law and Policy (RELP), with LexisLibrary links (2010–2023)

Relevant articles The Journal of Renewable Energy Law and Policy has ceased publication, and no additional issues will appear. It served as a forum for analysis and debate, across Europe and globally, on legal and policy matters tied to renewable energy. The journal tracked the rapid, continually evolving developments worldwide in the sector—from bio-energy, solar and wind power to emerging technologies such as fuel cells and nuclear fusion. The articles listed here may interest energy lawyers and are accessible via links on this page. Access is restricted to Lexis®Library subscribers. For comparable article lists on Lexis®Library, see: Practice Note: Journal of World Energy Law and Business articles Practice Note: The Utilities Law Review articles Publication Date Article Jurisdiction Brief description of article 1 April 2023 — Marine spatial planning and offshore wind: preliminary principles for Australia (2023)—RELP 2-3: pp 48–56 — Australia — This piece explores Australia’s offshore wind prospects, emphasising the need for marine spatial...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Separation of powers in the UK constitution: doctrine, devolution, executive–legislative fusion, executive dominance, judicial independence and review, and comparative perspectives

Source of the doctrine of the separation of powers The roots of the doctrine of the separation of powers are commonly linked to John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government (1689), where he argued that the executive and legislative functions ought to remain distinct. This set out a clear insistence on their proper institutional separation. He warned that human frailty, ever prone to clutch at authority, makes it unsafe for those who draft the laws to hold in their hands the power to enforce them, since they might exempt themselves from obeying the measures they create. The doctrine’s most influential formulation, however, is that of Baron de Montesquieu, reflecting on the English constitution in L’Esprit des Lois (1748), where he identified judicial authority as a third branch of government. He contended that when legislative and executive powers are concentrated in a single person, or within one body of magistrates, liberty cannot survive; fears will arise that the same monarch or senate could enact oppressive laws and carry them out oppressively....

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PRACTICE NOTES
Civil nuclear energy in the UK: legal and regulatory overview of the fuel cycle, risks, financing (CfDs/RAB), new build, advanced technologies, fusion, and the 2025 Nuclear Regulatory Review

What is nuclear energy? Nuclear energy is the power released from the core of an atom (the ‘nucleus’). It can be produced in two ways: Fission — the split of a large atom into smaller atoms; Fusion — the joining of lighter atoms to create heavier atoms. Nuclear (fission) power plants split uranium atoms inside a reactor through fission. The heat generated produces steam, which turns a turbine to generate electricity. While fission is currently used commercially to produce energy, nuclear fusion is not yet commercially viable. See: What is the future of nuclear power generation in the UK? below. Various countries around the world are increasingly turning to nuclear energy to satisfy the rising need for clean energy and to strengthen their energy security. What is the nuclear fuel cycle? The set of industrial processes that results in electricity from nuclear reactions is known as the nuclear fuel cycle. It starts with the mining of uranium (or other ores...

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