A Nuclear Power Plant in Your Backyard? Future Reactors Are Going Small

The next generation of nuclear power plants could be tiny, and that could mean big things for carbon-free electricity. Several companies including NuScale Power and Bill Gates’ TerraPower are developing small modular reactors that promise to be more adaptable than the towering conventional nuclear power plants. After years of development and growing investment, the first of these next-generation reactors could go online by 2030. But will their promises to provide safe and plentiful energy live up to the hype, and overcome the economic challenges of their predecessors? WSJ’s Danny Lewis looks at what small reactors could mean for the business of nuclear power and how you get your electricity.  What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected]  Further reading:  A Futuristic Plan to Make Steel With Nuclear Fusion  Nuclear Power Is Staging a Comeback, but Is It Affordable and Safe?  OpenAI’s Sam Altman Is Taking a Nuclear-Energy Startup Public  Nuclear Power Is Poised for a Comeback. The Problem Is Building the Reactors.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices