The Sconi

Wisconsin state Sen. Chris Larson is excited about what could soon be coming in the world of fusion ignition.

“Are we close to harnessing the power of the sun for unlimited clean energy? If a recent breakthrough by researchers in CA is any indication, the answer is ‘yes,’" Larson posted on Twitter. “Scientists were able to realize a net energy gain from a lab-created fusion reaction for the first time.”

The U.S. Department of Energy officially announced earlier this month that fusion energy researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have accomplished nuclear fusion, celebrating the achievement as a huge scientific breakthrough that comes after years of research that over time could spark advancements in national defense and clean energy.

According to CNBC, nuclear fusion releases a large amount of energy by combining two light nuclei into a heavier one.

For roughly the last eight decades, scientists have been working to replicate the sun's fusion energy production on earth. The fusion experiment must have generated more energy from the reaction than the laser energy used to drive it in order to accomplish ignition.  In the experiment that took place on December 5, this ultimately occurred, with the reaction reportedly requiring two units of energy, or megajoules, and producing in the neighborhood of three megajoules.

Even as the breakthroughs add up and the hope that fusion power plants will soon rise to the point of being able to offer clean and abundant energy, CNBC adds the technological advancement likely remains years away.

"You have to have a robust system of drivers to enable that,” said director of the Lawrence Livermore Lab, Kim Budil. “So, you know, probably decades. Not six decades, I don’t think. Not five decades, which is what we used to say. I think it’s moving into the foreground and probably, with concerted effort and investment, a few decades of research on the underlying technologies could put us in a position to build a power plant."