The race is on to develop a new breed of small nuclear reactors that will be operated underground and need refueling as seldom as once a decade.
Small modular reactors – or SMRs, as they are known – are seen by the nuclear power industry as the most promising technology of the future because they avoid many of the safety problems of much larger power plants and are also easier and quicker to construct.
Underground, they would be less vulnerable to terrorist attack and have cooling systems that could keep them safe for seven days without human intervention.
Neighborhood nuke plants? Hhmmmm. To read more, click here.