Whether people’s reading habits include The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post or Physics Today, the chances are that they have seen a little of the buzz about small and modular nuclear reactors.
Before ground is broken on even one of the new generation of large-scale reactors undergoing licensing at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), many are looking toward the next generation of new reactors that are smaller, less capital intensive and more flexible. Small and modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) generally have a capacity of 300 megawatts or less, compared to the 1,000 to 1,700 MW capacity of large power reactors. As a result, they can serve remote locations and small power grids and meet the needs of smaller utilities, providing carbon-free power on a 24/7 basis.
