Despite some skepticism about whether the University of Utah has really discovered room-temperature fusion, the Legislature did the right thing Friday in approving $5 million to keep the experiment going until scientific questions are answered one way or another.
If - and this is still a very large if - the "cold fusion" project turns out to involve real fusion, it could be the scientific breakthrough of the century and solve most of the world's energy ills.In that case, the $5 million is just a way of keeping Utah on the ground floor of what could be a staggeringly lucrative undertaking. The state money would be repaid many, many times over.
If cold fusion actually has occurred, there will be no shortage of private money, but the state contribution is merely a way of bridging any financial gap before the process is verified and commercial arrangements are worked out
If the whole idea fizzles and turns out to be a mistake, it's likely that very little of the $5 million will be spent. In either case, it is a risk worth taking.
Legislators clearly appreciated this fact, and the $5 million funding measure swept through with only two negative votes in the House and one in the Senate. Because the margin was more than two-thirds in both chambers, the money will be available as soon as Gov. Norm Bangerter signs the bill, instead of the required 60-day waiting period.
The measure also gives the governor power to appoint a nine-member Fusion Advisory Council made up of scientists and businessmen. The council will allocate the $5 million, probably in small amounts as needed, rather than all at once.
A minor storm did arise over whether council meetings would be held behind closed doors, but that bit of nonsense was quickly ironed out. The council will abide by the Utah open meetings law and go into executive session only if there are technological secrets to be explored.
Now that the Legislature has acted, the U. can get along with its fusion work while the world waits for somebody, somewhere else to produce the evidence that verifies - or disproves - the Utah discovery.