Why are people betting on small modular reactors? Even given all the problems described. I don’t think it’s that policy officials are gullible to marketing.

I think the key reason is the promise of low price, high power, and fast deployment. PROMISE being the key word, because it should be obvious (not to the author) that you don’t get low prices on the first experimental units. You get them when you have factories efficiently building hundreds. And in this hopeful future, you can turn these things on much faster than setting up acreage of wind or solar plus supporting batteries. And do it in places where you don’t have natural supply of either.

It’s a bet that hasn’t proven itself yet. But given the severity of the crisis, I for one am glad somebody is taking it.