When we think of cleaning or greening the grid, we often think first of solar, wind and hydro energy. Renewables make up 20% of the national grid and growing investment will only up that percentage. But how do we get to a carbon free grid as fast as possible?
We need to look at clean energy sources that pack a lot of punch… and keep on punching. What do I mean? Nuclear.
I’ve previously talked about nuclear fusion and the distant future of making it commercially viable. But we haven’t talked about nuclear fission, an existing technology that we’ve known and used for decades. In the years following Fukushima and Chernobyl, nuclear has become a lot safer and public sentiment has warmed to the idea of expanding nuclear power. These trends parallel the growing interest in small modular reactors (SMRs).
How can SMRs help us build better cities?
Safer and more modular: SMRs provide up to 300 MW(e) per unit, about ⅓ of the energy generated by traditional nuclear power reactors. Because of their size, SMRs don’t require intensive cooling operations that typically involve active cooling, pumps, power, or computer/human intervention, making them safer than traditional nuclear reactors. Their size also offers more flexibility for deployment in utility grids with constrained transmission and distribution lines.
Consistent baseload: The sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. Until energy storage solutions can scale up and provide consistency to renewable energy, the grid is still dependent on fossil fuel energy sources. Because of their consistent energy supply, SMRs are great substitutes for fossil fuels, providing baseload and peak energy needs.
Power density: Renewables are land-use intensive. To power ⅓ of the national grid using solar energy, we will need up to 4250 square miles- the equivalent of 14 times the area of New York City. And solar is most efficient when located near sunny urban centers. Now, for the same amount of energy supply, SMRs require a fraction of that land mass- up to 580 square miles (about 2 x NYC).
So, what’s the next step?
In 2023, over 12 states passed legislation that allow for the development of nuclear reactors, including West Virginia, which lifted a ban on nuclear reactors put in place to protect the coal industry. On top of this legislative effort, the US federal government has pushed billions of dollars into the development of SMRs because of its theoretical viability to rival fossil fuels.
Just this month the IAEA (the International Atomic Energy Agency) reviewed Estonia’s plans to get to a zero carbon grid by 2050 which relies heavily on the use of SMRs. With the IAEA’s feedback, Estonia will progress their plans to develop SMRs.
Despite growing momentum, 2023 did see some setbacks for SMRs deployments. NuScale and the Utah Associated Municipal Power System canceled their SMR pilot project at the Idaho National Lab. The project was planned to deliver 462-MW reactor(s) to energize communities throughout the mountain west. After years of progress, the project’s budget pushed the quoted price for a MWh of nuclear energy from $58 to $89, making it noncompetitive with the grid energy prices. The project couldn’t fill enough subscriptions to ensure the project would remain financially viable.
There are still multiple pilot projects underway throughout the world. Even Microsoft has hired experts to develop nuclear energy sources to power data centers. The DOD has awarded a contract option to X-energy to develop transportable micro nuclear reactors. And, if energy storage cannot scale and regulatory environments become even stickier for fossil fuels, there’s a growing chance that the economics will work and utilities will turn towards small nuclear to clean the grid.