That's the debate raging over a new nuclear technology that -- depending on your perspective -- is either a game-changer in electrical generation, or a failure-in-the-making that will fleece taxpayers for a half-billion dollars. The technology, called "small modular reactors," will be the centerpiece of an entirely new way of thinking about nuclear power. They are much smaller than what traditionally has been built in this country -- producing about one-sixth the power. They'll also cost less -- about $1 billion-2 billion apiece, compared with $10 billion-$15 billion for a large plant. Typical nuclear units produce between 1,000 and 1,400 megawatts of electricity. SMRs, as they're called, top out at about 180 megawatts. The plan is to build them in two-packs, for a total of 360 megawatts, which is right around the output of a coal-fired unit. For supporters, the goal of replacing coal-fired plants is key. In his June speech on climate change, President Obama talked about shutting down dozens of older coal plants, which left open the question of how that electricity would be produced.
"Small modular reactors are all about taking the risk out of the equation for nuclear," said Christofer Mowry, president of B&W's mPower division. "And that's what the industry wants -- they want to de-risk nuclear. They like nuclear because nuclear offers what no other source of energy does, which is basic, reliable, clean energy.
What really separates SMRs from traditional nuke facilities is that the plant is built almost entirely underground. The surface profile is about the size of a Walmart. Bill Johnson, president of the Tennessee Valley Authority, is impressed. "On a big plant you would like about 300 acres. Here you can actually build the plant on about 40 acres," Johnson told Fox News. "So it's a lot less land use, it's a lot less water use, easier to build transmission lines to it. The small economy of scale may actually be helpful to us." More here
