GoKawiil
Tech News
Nature reports that the nuclear power sector is increasingly turning to small modular reactors (SMRs) as a way to overcome the cost overruns and construction delays that have long plagued large-scale nuclear plants. These smaller, factory-built designs promise faster deployment and lower upfront capital costs than traditional gigawatt-scale reactors.
Several companies are developing small nuclear reactors compact enough to be transported by aircraft or shipped in standard containers, each carrying roughly a decade's worth of fuel. Backers envision deploying these units directly from factories to isolated locations like rural Alaska, remote mining operations, or even future space outposts, where conventional power infrastructure is costly or impractical.
Falling costs have spurred a surge in grid-scale battery storage proposals across the US, but aging grid infrastructure and equipment shortages are causing massive backlogs. Roughly 750 gigawatts of storage capacity are now waiting for interconnection approval, with median wait times rising from about 1.5 years in 2015 to 5 years in 2025. Utilities like Con Edison and PG&E report project queues swelling by hundreds of percent, citing shortages of transformers, breakers and skilled labor.
Between late 2016 and August 2026, China brought 27 new nuclear reactors online, while the United States added only two in the same period. MIT nuclear engineering professor Jacopo Buongiorno notes that China has become the global leader in building nuclear power plants, part of a broader strategy to support its shift toward a fully renewable grid.