NEI concludes that small modular reactors (SMRs) provide enhanced levels of safety, the ability to match electricity generation with demand and the ability to be deployed in diverse applications and places.
What Are Small Modular Reactors?
SMRs are advanced reactors that produce 300 megawatts or less of electricity. They utilize components that can be factory-built—minimizing costs, improving quality and reducing construction schedules. Together with large, traditional reactors and other advanced reactors, SMRs are expanding the all-of-the-above nuclear energy portfolio needed to meet our national goals on energy security and mitigation of climate change.
Good Things Come in Small Reactors
- Small reactors supply power reliably regardless of weather conditions, are resilient to security threats and have enhanced safety features.
Micro-reactors, SMRs that provide only a few megawatts, could bring electricity to remote, rural native communities or military bases. - n addition to reducing carbon emissions, SMRs will use a tiny fraction of land compared to wind and solar.
- Small reactors can power retired fossil sites, match electricity output with demand, integrate with renewables, and be used for heat, desalination and other applications.
- Government Partnerships and Smart Regulations Can Move SMRs Forward
- Being the first to market with any type of technology carries risk and upfront costs.
The federal government can help in several ways:
- Development of an advanced reactor design can cost $1 billion or more, and take several years to complete.
- The U.S. Department of Energy should continue its support to accelerate the industry’s development of innovative advanced nuclear technologies.
- Production tax credits have been proven as a cost effective means to stimulate the deployment of new technologies by overcoming the inherent large upfront costs.
- The first SMRs would present much less risk to investors if they had long-term, contracted customers once completed.
- The government could be a customer for these power purchase agreements and once they’re built, SMRs could provide reliable, carbon-free power for DOE or the U.S. Department of Defense.
- Large upfront costs for the first SMRs can discourage companies from pursuing the technology.
- The government can ease these costs also with loan guarantees, which would allow companies to borrow much more than they could without government help.
- New reactors would benefit from a well-defined path to licensing and streamlined regulatory reviews that credit advanced designs for providing enhanced safety.
What You Can Do to Help SMRs
- Urge the federal government to provide more funding for SMR development and deployment through DOE’s advanced reactor program.
- Urge the federal government to create power purchase agreements with companies that will build SMRs.
- Request that the existing DOE loan guarantee program be extended.
- Communicate the need for the NRC to enable clear, stable and staged licensing options for SMRs and advanced reactors.
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