system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How will we use the power from a fusion reactor?

Everyone talks about how fusion reactors will change everything. My question is, how will we USE all of this energy? Will we just use it like we do a fission reactor, using the excess heat to generate steam? If so, it seems kind of a waste of money. Or, is there some way to use the plasma to generate electricity (kind of like the EPS conduits in Star trek). 

I am only a layman, but I hope to get an answer I can understand.
Perhaps they are only concerned with actually getting a working fusion reactor, and then sweating the details later.

Thanks!
gpt
> Will we just use it like we do a fission reactor, using the excess heat to generate steam?

Yes. 

> If so, it seems kind of a waste of money

Why do you think that?

> is there some way to use the plasma to generate electricity

The best way is plasma to heat to steam to rotation to electricity. Modern power cycles operate close to the Carnot efficiency. It literally doesn't get any better than steam, especially for large-scale systems like a power plant. These aren't the steam engines of the 1800s, they're highly advanced, modern machinery.