Juergens' Electric Sun model?

>
> I guess I was thinking more of tapping into plasma energy or zero-point
> energy to power space settlements or create their building materials.

Tapping zero point energy requires new physics. Our current
understanding of zero point energy is that it cannot be reduced (hence
*zero* point), so there is no way to extract it.

It is notable that all claims of tapping zero point energy so far that
have been subject to critical examination have been shown to be either
erroneous or fraudulent.

I'm sympathetic to the notion that magnetohydrodynamics plays a much
larger role in cosmology than is commonly thought. But it comes to
creating a spacefaring civilization invoking new physics is not only
unnecessary, it's counterproductive. Everything needed to build a
spacefaring civilization is available right now. The difficulties are
sociological and economic, not technological or physical.

......Andrew

Softly, softly, catchee monkey...