Small (nuclear) reactors could figure into U.S. energy future [View all]

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http://news.uchicago.edu/article/2011/12/13/small-reactors-could-figure-us-energy-future

[font size="5"]Small reactors could figure into U.S. energy future[/font]
By Steve Koppes
December 13, 2011

A newly released study from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) concludes that small modular reactors may hold the key to the future of U.S. nuclear power generation.

“Clearly, a robust commercial SMR industry is highly advantageous to many sectors in the United States,” concluded the study, led by Robert Rosner, institute director and the William Wrather Distinguished Service Professor in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

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At the Center for Strategic and International Studies event on Dec. 1, CSIS president and CEO John Hamre said that economic issues have hindered the construction of new large-scale reactors in the United States. The key challenge facing the industry is the seven-to-nine-year gap between making a commitment to build a nuclear plant and revenue generation.

Few companies can afford to wait that long to see a return on the $10 billion investment that a large-scale nuclear plant would require. “This is a real problem,” Hamre said, but the advent of the small modular reactor “offers the promise of factory construction efficiencies and a much shorter timeline.”

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The full reports can be downloaded at the Energy Policy Institute website: http://epic.uchicago.edu/page/publications-and-presentations .