Can not enable ascension machine, oscillating power instead

[hvraven]

I currently at the end of a playthrough to ascension in the EM field challenge and can not simply turn on the ascension machine, even though I do have enough power theoretically available. As soon as I turn on the ascension machine power and many resources start to oscillate.
The problem appears to be that once I attempt to turn on the machine (which is highest priority in the power grid) I loose all my Deuterium storage capacity (and almost all Elerium), disabling the Fusion reactors, resulting in not enough total power. This happens before the ascension machine is triggered.
I would expect it to be sufficient to have enough power at the moment the machine is turned on.

Savegame (already a bit messed up, as in the process many citizens become homeless)

[yarukishi]

The power has to be continuously supplied to make the "Ascend" button available. If your power plants instantly turn off due to a lack of fuel storage, then the ascension machine cannot meet its power requirement, so you cannot ascend.