Small Reactors, Big Ambitions

For decades, nuclear energy in America has been a story of aging plants, high costs, and public concern.

The next chapter could look very different.

A new generation of nuclear reactors is being developed, and they are not the giant plants many people picture. Small modular reactors, or SMRs, are designed to be more compact, easier to build, and safer to operate than older nuclear plants. Some parts could be built in factories and shipped to a site by truck, reducing construction time and cost.

Supporters say SMRs could help solve one of the biggest challenges in clean energy: reliability.

Solar panels do not produce power at night. Wind turbines depend on wind. Batteries can help, but they are not yet enough to carry the entire grid through long stretches of high demand. Nuclear power, by contrast, can produce carbon-free electricity around the clock.

That makes small reactors especially attractive to industries that need constant power, including data centers. Artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services require enormous amounts of electricity. Major technology companies have begun signing nuclear power agreements as they look for reliable energy that does not add carbon emissions.

The designs also focus heavily on safety. Many newer reactors include passive cooling systems, which are meant to keep the reactor safe without relying on constant human action or outside power. That is a major selling point for a public still shaped by memories of nuclear accidents.

One closely watched project is TerraPower’s Natrium reactor in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The company, backed by Bill Gates, has been developing the project as part of a broader push to bring advanced nuclear power to the United States. The plant is expected to generate electricity in the early 2030s.

Other companies and utilities are exploring similar ideas across the country. Amazon has committed money to a nuclear project in Washington state, while Google, Microsoft, and Meta have also shown interest in nuclear power to help meet future energy needs.

Still, small reactors face big questions.

They must prove they can be built on time and on budget. They must win public trust. Regulators must be satisfied that the designs are safe. Communities must decide whether they want these projects nearby. The country also still needs long-term answers for nuclear waste.

Even so, the mood around nuclear energy is changing. Concerns about climate change, rising electricity demand, and the limits of weather-dependent power have put nuclear back into the national conversation.

A decade ago, the idea of a new wave of small nuclear reactors in the United States may have sounded unlikely.

Now, it sounds like a serious bet on the future.