For the record, Operation Ivy also achieved break even, in 1952, and ushered in a world where cheap clean and abundant #fusion energy was only 20 years away.
The reason hydrogen bombs couldn't be used as power plants was it was very difficult to convert the thermal energy to electricity and the repetition rate was far too low for continuous power.
In contrast, with modern inertial confinement #fusion, it is very difficult to convert the thermal energy to electricity and the repetition rate is far too low for continuous power.
@SETIEric
We might be able to use nuclear bombs in a piston engine.
Imagine a piston engine in which the cylinders are the size of the Vehicle Assembly Building and the spark plugs are replaced by nuclear bombs.
Another possibility: Using nuclear bombs to recharge a geothermal energy facility that's running out of steam.