We solve today’s problems with tomorrow’s technology.
One of today’s problems is energy production. Our electrical grid is aging, and our generation capacity is inadequate in many areas, as witnessed by the rolling blackouts in places like California. The reply from the left to this is to call for inefficient, low-energy-density solutions like wind and solar power. But the bes
Advances in nuclear technology in recent years have been remarkable. We have seen the rise of molten-salt reactors, small modular reactors (SMR), and even the possible advent — finally, maybe — of fusion power.
Now, there’s another innovation. Two companies are working with microreactors.
Funding for two new microreactors could bring reliable nuclear power to remote locations. Westinghouse secured US $3 million for its eVinci microreactor, and Radiant Industries received $2 million for its Kaleidos microreactor, both in November from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
As an honest minarchist, I’d rather not see any government thumbs on the scales, but at least the development itself is in the hands of private companies, one of whom, Westinghouse, has a long history in power generation. Testing, however, still requires the involvement of the DOE.
The funding will help the companies ready the technology for testing at the DOE’s Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME)—the first microreactor testbed in the United States. DOME is currently under construction at Idaho National Laboratory’s Materials and Fuels Complex in Blackfoot, Idaho, and is expected to be completed in 2026. The companies must conduct an analysis, called detailed engineering and experiment planning (DEEP), before running fueled experiments at the testbed.