There was something like that in 1960s
Fusor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusor
Idea by Philo T. Farnsworth and later improve by Robert Hirsch
but they had very bad luck.
the Farnsworth Television labs, who developed the Fusor, was part of ITT Corporation.
In 1960s ITT placed Harold Geneen in charge as CEO.
He put ITT's main lines of business to insurance, Sheraton Hotels, Wonderbread and Avis Rent-a-Car.
and shot down telephone/electronics company and Farnsworth Television labs in 1967
Philo T. Farnsworth wend to United States Atomic Energy Commission
but the AEC decided to concentrate funding on large tokamak projects
this was end of Fusor
in 2006 Robert W. Bussard has improve the reactor now called Polywell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polywell
what wen Fusor was ready in 1970 ?
it take some time until first reactor go on line
but with Ol-crisis in 1973 chance that dramatic
the USA build massiv Fusion reactor replace power station working on Ol
(later also coal and nuclear fission station)
OPEC lose there political weapon agaist USA
so the middel East nation has to look for other ways for polical problem
other use of Fusor reactor
they light weight so build in submarines and ships even aircraft !
also NASA use Fusor for replace NERVA Fission Engine
so on long term Ol, coal, gas remain "cheap" for world market
because there not use for power station in industry nation
only for cars and petrochemical industry
impact on Cold War
with cheap "Save" fusion energy in US, the USSR get behind because use of Fission energie or Ol, coal use
the KGB will try to get some Fusor technology for USSR
the USA goverment can use this for strategic arms limitation talk.
they offer Fusor technology for reduction in Nuclear wapon.