With all the discussion about Data Centers and Energy, I think we are missing a bigger issue.  The need for baseload power and the potential solution to be small scale modular nuclear reactors. 

“Small modular reactors (SMRs) are a type of nuclear fission reactor designed to produce less than 300 megawatts of electrical power (300 megawatts could power between 60,000 and 199,000 homes), utilizing modular design principles for easier construction and scalability. They can be used for various applications, including electricity generation, process heat, and desalination” (Source: Duck Duck Go AI).

The Sponsors for this Article are Jase Medical
“Emergency Medications & First Aid Kits”

Request a Free pdf copy of "Our Drinking Water"

Act Now: Subscribe to the Know Your H20 Newsletter

Since the early 2010s the U.S. SMR sector has moved from concept to early commercial deployment through phased regulatory review, demonstration projects, and federal support. The first phase focused on design certification and technology demonstration: vendors completed preliminary designs, submitted applications to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and secured DOE cost-sharing for demonstration and licensing activities. Several design-certification reviews advanced into detailed safety assessments and vendor–utility partnerships.

The next phase (mid‑2020s) centers on licensing approvals and initial site selections. At this stage, at least one vendor completed major NRC review milestones for a light‑water SMR design, enabling conditional agreements with utilities and host sites to move into construction planning. Federal funding programs, state incentives, and tax credits have accelerated utility offtake discussions and supply‑chain investments, while streamlining permitting and community engagement processes became a priority for project sponsors.

The commercial roll‑out phase (late‑2020s to early‑2030s) is expected to deliver the first factory-built SMR modules to grid‑connected sites, with serial manufacturing lowering per‑unit costs and reducing construction schedules compared with large reactors. Early deployments will likely target grids needing flexible zero‑carbon baseload or firming capacity, remote industrial loads, and high‑reliability customers (e.g., data centers). Parallel activity includes modular manufacturing ramp‑up, workforce training, and coordinated siting strategies (co‑location with existing sites or industrial users).

Key near‑term indicators to watch are final NRC design certifications, the first construction permit issuances, announced utility power‑purchase or offtake agreements, and factory capacity commitments from modular manufacturers. When these converge, the sector will shift from demonstration to repeatable commercial deployment—contingent on financing, supply chain scale, and sustained policy support.

So normally the first question is about disposal of the waste.  So we ask Grok this question:

Nuclear Energy is radioactive was disposal a significant problem can not we use the waste to make more fuel ?

The Answer

Yes, nuclear energy involves radioactive materials, but the risks are highly manageable with proper engineering. Nuclear waste disposal is not an insurmountable technical problem, though it is a significant political, regulatory, and logistical challenge in some countries (especially the US). And yes, we can (and do in some places) recycle much of the "waste" into new fuel.

1. Is Nuclear Waste Disposal a Significant Problem?

Technically: No. Spent nuclear fuel is compact, contained, and has been safely stored for decades in pools and dry casks at reactor sites worldwide. The total volume from all commercial nuclear power in history is surprisingly small (roughly the size of a few football fields if stacked). Source: world-nuclear.org

Practically/Politically: Yes in places like the US. The U.S. has ~90,000+ tons of spent fuel in temporary storage with no permanent repository operating due to political opposition (Yucca Mountain was canceled). Other countries (Finland, Sweden, France) are successfully building or operating deep geological repositories.

High-level waste remains radioactive for a long time (tens of thousands of years for some components), but its volume is tiny compared to coal ash or other industrial waste, and radiation decreases over time.

Modern proposals (as of 2026) include independent corporations for waste management, "nuclear lifecycle campuses," and consolidated interim storage while permanent solutions advance.  Source: ans.org

2. Can We Use Nuclear Waste to Make More Fuel? Yes — this is already done successfully in several countries.

96% of spent fuel is recyclable: Typical spent fuel is ~94% uranium (mostly U-238), ~1% plutonium, and ~5% fission products (true waste). Reprocessing extracts the usable uranium and plutonium to make new fuel (MOX fuel — mixed oxide). Source: orano.group

Countries doing this: France, Russia, China, Japan, and the UK reprocess spent fuel. France recycles used fuel and reduces the volume of high-level waste by a factor of ~5 and long-term radiotoxicity significantly. Source:  world-nuclear.org

Breeder reactors / fast reactors: These can "burn" much of the long-lived waste (actinides) and even produce more fuel than they consume. They turn "waste" into energy and dramatically reduce the amount and duration of radioactivity needing disposal (from hundreds of thousands of years to hundreds).

Note: “Actinides are a series of 15 metallic elements in the periodic table, ranging from actinium (atomic number 89) to lawrencium (atomic number 103). They are all radioactive and include both naturally occurring elements like uranium and thorium, as well as synthetic elements such as plutonium and americium. (Source: Duck Duck Go AI).

Why isn't this universal?

• Cost: Reprocessing is more expensive than once-through fuel in cheap uranium markets.
  
  
• Proliferation concerns: Extracting plutonium can be used for weapons (though modern processes can make it less weapons-usable).
  
  
• Policy: The U.S. halted commercial reprocessing in the 1970s mainly for non-proliferation reasons.
  
  
• Fear, anxiety, NIMBY, and lack of knowledge.

Advanced reactors (Generation IV, small modular reactors, fast reactors) are being designed specifically to recycle waste and minimize new disposal needs.

Bottom Line

• Nuclear waste is a solved technical problem in countries with consistent policy (deep repositories + reprocessing).
  
  
• Recycling significantly reduces waste volume, toxicity, and disposal requirements.
  
  
• The biggest barriers today are political/regulatory, not scientific or engineering ones.

Nuclear has the lowest death rate per unit of energy of any major source (including solar and wind) when including all lifecycle data, partly because waste is so well-contained.  “Public support for nuclear energy has been increasing, with about 60% of U.S. adults now favoring it, up from 43% in 2020, driven by growing support from both Republicans and Democrats. However, some opposition persists due to concerns about safety, environmental impact, and the long-term storage of radioactive waste. (Duck Duck AI) ”

Additional Reading

An Analysis of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for Commercial Electricity Generation in the United States

Small Modular Reactors: A Realist Approach to the Future of Nuclear Power

Think small: Why America should bet on small modular reactors

Public support for nuclear stays at record highs, but misconceptions remain a problem

Interesting Video on topic: How will the rise of AI reshape global energy demand, and is the world prepared? (The following 14-minute video answers many questions regarding electricity demands related to AI data centers and the possibilities of using nuclear energy to address them.) 

Related Blog Topics

Can Water Itself Be Radioactive?

Radionuclides in Water

Other Websites

Know Your H20
B.F. Environmental Consultants
Carbon County Groundwater Guardians
Keystone Clean Water Team (Donate)