Portable Nukes

Coming soon to a backyard near you?

As interest in nuclear energy heats up, developers are focusing on minireactors. “They're simple and robust, with safety features to allow a country without nuclear expertise to gradually put in small plants, and get people trained and familiar with them before moving into more complex plants,” according to Felix Killar at the Nuclear Energy Institute.

Small-scale plants could prove useful in the United States, too, particularly in areas where residents must now rely on diesel generators for electricity. Toshiba is reportedly working on a small-scale design for Galena, Alaska. But NuScale Power, the startup spun from Oregon State, is the first American company to submit plans for a portable nuclear plant to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which regulates all domestic nuclear power plants.

You may not be able to buy one yourself, but perhaps your local utility company will.

--Popular Mechanics