The Harlow Report-GIS
2023 Edition
ISSN 0742-468X
Since 1978
On-line Since 2000
first published week of: 01/30/2023
US Certifies the First Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Design
by Justine Calma
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission gave an advanced reactor design its stamp of approval, but there is still a long road ahead before next-generation nuclear technologies get off the ground.
For the first time, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has certified a design for an advanced small modular reactor (SMR). The certification allows utilities to choose the advanced reactor design when applying for a license to build and operate a new power plant.
The NRC’s certification is a significant stamp of approval for a potential climate solution that’s still controversial among environmental advocates. Essentially, it’s a green light for an entirely new generation of nuclear reactors.
“SMRs are no longer an abstract concept,” Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Kathryn Huff said in a Department of Energy press release.
Read full story at The Verge…