In the latest Clean Energy Today podcast (player above), Samuel Gibson, founder and CEO at Hadron Energy, said the company’s micro modular reactors–a type of advanced nuclear reactor–will produce power at 15 cents/kWh and can be deployed in 2028 or 2029. The company has 3.6 GW of signed commitments from customers, many of them data centers.
Advanced nuclear reactors such as Hadron Energy’s micro modular reactors are seen as key to meeting soaring data center, AI and electrification demand because they provide baseload power and are carbon-free, he said.
But the advanced nuclear reactor industry faces a number of challenges, including regulatory delays, state bans on nuclear, high costs and waste-disposal issues, according to Woody Hastings, program director at The Climate Center and Tom Bailey, vice president of energy at Flexential, which builds data centers.
Hastings cited a study by Stanford University and the University of British Columbia, Small Modular Reactors Produce High Levels of Nuclear Waste to debunk the idea that advanced nuclear reactors don’t release radioactive waste. He said that deploying next-generation geothermal energy for data centers makes more sense because it’s carbon-free, doesn’t release radioactive waste and can produce power 24/7.
Upfront costs for nuclear energy can be high for both advanced nuclear reactors and next-generation geothermal, he added. “The the capital costs are high for both of these kinds of base load sources, but you’re going to end up with fewer problems with geothermal,” Hastings said.
Other obstacles to deploying advanced nuclear technology for data centers include state bans on nuclear energy, Bailey said.
“You have states that have narratives that they are going to be either active in the advancement of policies and procedures, or they’re gonna sit there and say, ‘We’re not going to be part of this base load solution,” he said. Minnesota, for example, has a moratorium on nuclear advancement.
Another potential roadblock is permitting delays, Bailey said.
“Flexential as an example, can build, from the time we execute agreements, in two years or less. If you go through a state or federal regulatory process right now, you’re looking at a 4- to 6-year time period for approval. And obviously those timelines don’t align. And so what we’re looking for is how do we move more quickly in the regulatory process with partnerships, either at the state or federal level or with utilities that advance those permitting processes in a time that’s both safe and reliable, but also can meet our timelines. It’s going to be very challenging to get new nuclear online to meet customers’ goals for carbon-free baseload energy.”
You can listen to the Clean Energy Today episode on Apple Podcasts.