Nuclear reactors go small.

• Author: Rodman, Lauren
• Position: TRENDS & TRANSITIONS - Brief article

With U.S. electricity demand expected to increase by as much as 29 percent in the next 30 years, energy officials are hopeful small nuclear reactors being designed today may help meet tomorrow's needs. At roughly one-third the size of a current nuclear power plant, one of these small modular reactors could generate approximately 300 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 230,000 homes each year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

With the support of federal, state and private investment, several models are expected to be operating by the mid-2020s.

Traditional nuclear reactors generate about 20 percent of the nation's electricity, but aging equipment, rising construction and maintenance costs, questions regarding safety, the lack of a national radioactive waste storage site and increasing pressure from low-cost natural gas pose challenges for the industry.

Nuclear advocates say small...