Small Modular Reactors Are Overhyped
In this video we take a deep dive into small module nuclear reactors, which have recently gained attention as a potential electricity source for AI data centers.
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#wallstreetmillennial #nuclearenergy #smr
0:00 – 3:18 Intro
3:19 – 6:23 Traditional Nuclear Reactors
6:24 – 8:51 Small Modular Reactors
8:52 – 14:23 Problems with SMRs
14:24 – 15:41 Safety Risks
15:42 Renewable Energy
Comments
Latest news
@catmelvin997
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
is natgas the future?
@marbanak
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
About 12 years ago, numerous firms were bidding on a government award, for developing and making SMRs. Mid-Missouri, in partnership with Westinghouse, thought they would do well, having local expertise at the nearby Callaway county reactor, plus two major Engineering schools in-state (Roll S&T and Mizzou). There were was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, when the award reportedly went to a company, already making nuclear generators for submarines. In Westinghouse/Missouri's case, they wanted to scale-down what they were already doing. The smaller company (whoever they are) wanted to scale-up whatever they were doing. This video lowers my expectations for this technology. Too bad, AI.
@andrewscott8892
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
US DOD Janus program
@Nill757
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Engineer here. Most all of the explanations have errors, are misleading, miss primary problems (refueling for SMRs), miss the key advantages. WSJ used to be a great news company. What happened?
@patrickdevlin1727
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
It’s hard to understand how factory built standardized components for SMR‘s isn’t more cost-effective than design and build on site. Plus using Newscale’s first of its kind test unit in Idaho as justification of why SMR‘s will never be cheaper is hilarious. Without having a lineup of multiple SMR‘s ordered to allow. Mass production of components, severely limits the validity of your thesis.
@alalfred3474
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
You are too pessimistic on SMR. Yes, SMR electricity cost will be higher than those generated by large nuclear power plants, if both can be built in time and on budget. Vogtle project demonstrated the financial risks for a large nuclear construction project, especially for the first of a kind project like Vogtle. SMR by design is much simpler than a large nuclear power plant and its construction cost and duration is much cheaper and shorter. A typical CAPEX for a single unit of SMR is targeted at $1B or so. Even with cost overrun, it will not bankrupt the utilities.
US government is sponsoring SMR demonstration projects to work out the design, equipment supplier, licensing, and FOAK issues. After these initial projects are demonstrated, the financial and project risks of SMRs will be better defined. Also, with many advanced reactor designs, they are much safer than traditional nuclear power plants, and even safer than light water based SMRs developed by NuScale, Westinghouse and GE-Hitachi.
In the meantime, renewables’ intermittent power supply cannot be trusted by data centers and average users like us. Until the battery technology is demonstrated, nuclear and gas powered electricity is the best bet.
@jonnash5196
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Another thing missing here is a discussion about how long these plants can be run before they have to be decommissioned. Once they are decommissioned what is the cost of guarding them for very long periods of time ?
@jonnash5196
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
The 9/11 terrorists had originally planned to strike nuclear power plants but after consideration decided they could cause more trouble by hitting the Pentagon and the world trade towers and I can't remember if they were going for the White House or congress. If these small nuclear plants do not have thick containment vessels how will they be affected if a terrorist attacks them or if there is a very strong tornado or hurricane ? You might want to have some regulation there huh
@jonnash5196
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
It is pure Insanity to suggest that any kind of nuclear reactor not be regulated in any way
@jonnash5196
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Is it really true that building something in a factory can make it less complex ? I could see if you had an assembly line kind of production you could reduce the cost but the complexity of an item is not reduced by where you make it is it ?
@jonnash5196
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
It's interesting that in describing the Fukushima meltdowns and hydrogen explosions the speaker did not mention the large area that was contaminated with dangerous radiation.
@JoeBeThere
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Green Hydrogen is the future, but the oil and gas companies squash it
@joecoupon8299
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
False. We've had SMRs since the 1950s. Nuke tech has changed. Even the fuel is quite different. The video is comparing aluminum F1 cars to carbon fiber. Power requirements demand more. SMRs are coming, and fuel and safety security solutions will be found with parallel solutions.
@kludgedude
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Above ground geothermal
@nica8667
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Why not push the innovation from Nuclear Plants to SMRS – are we limiting our innovations
@brettr2123
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Here is what is going to happen: 1. The initial timelines for SMR proof of concept is going to go from 10-20 years down to less than 5. The Department of War has a separate regulatory body for nuclear energy projects (reactors on submarines and aircraft carriers). The first, second, and third reactors for companies like OKLO and Nuscale will be built through this truncated and efficient process.
This alone will reduce the timeline by more than 50% and costs by 25-50%.
At the same time, regulations like ALARA will be removed in the private sector. The NRC will build new frameworks for the novel reactors deployed through the DOW.
The first commercial applications will be around 2030 and will take place at controlled sites like data center clusters where refueling and security are semi centralized.
Wind and solar won't be an answer. Full stop. Period. The cost for battery storage at scale along with redundancy from gas peaker plants makes the wind and solar significantly more expensive than nat gas or commercial SMR's.
This video is kind of shitty.
@didur62
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
6 months later. Ai still a bubble .
@tomgooch1422
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
This is a nuclear hatchet job pushing windmills and other low energy density government-subsidized energy sources instead of nuclear, the only, and inevitable, source of energy capable of sustaining and growing modern human civilization.
@atato1331
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
How come they have nuclear powered subs if nuscale cant complete.
@TyburVelereon
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Is the reactor Uc Irvine considered a small modular reactor cause it is small and it’s a reactor so I’m assuming that’s what they were doing and I think they still have it like I’m talking about it like it’s in the past tense, but I’m pretty sure that they still have it
@JamieElli
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Small nuclear reactors: great for when normal reactors aren't attracting enough protests.
@junlee3515
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Why that guy look like sam altman if he was from the south
@jeraldketelboeter5740
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Ryan and James crushing dreams and hopes, one video at a time. 🙂
@jeffborders1146
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
0:50 "nuclear produces no greenhouse gases" -while showing massive cooling towers releasing steam. That's steam. Water vapor is the combinatory most potent, most abundant greenhouse gas of them all.
@PxThucydides
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
I notice solar panels hardly ever explode.
@bdono555
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Should be building fast reactors and thorium reactors.
@VigourColors
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
title is a clickbait, content is just general info
@genestone4951
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Informative video. It's a shame the title sucks so much. If the title were good I'd share this video; but now will find something more professional.
@danieldow9385
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
You can't even talk? You have t o get AI to talk for you?
@Dany-nv1fj
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
The stupidity of over regulated industry thanks to the fears imposed by media and politicians, not by real facts.
@henryjanicky4978
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Drill baby drill is short-sighted and stupid policy in US.China is on constructing over 100 nuclear power stations in near future, Ameryka almost none
@EdwinaTS
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Nuclear power was supposed to power for 20 yrs then uranium will be exhausted, and then there is a 10,000 yr nuclear waste legacy to handle.
SMR hype do not talk about nuclear waste recycling to maximise the use of nuclear fuels. case in point: UK nuclear spent fuels are still stranded at the Sellerfield site which were meant for reprocessing there. UK still don't know what to do with spent fuels.
Wheras China has developed a close cycle reprocessing nuclear power plant. The nuclear programme in the west is a joke!🤷♀️
@daniell.6463
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Multiple designs are moving through NRC review. Data centers are burning diesel and gas because the grid can't keep up. SMRs deploy in 5-7 years. Renewables don't provide 24/7 baseload power. Nuclear does. It's not hype.
@mokhlesuzzaman
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
You will continue to term it over hyped, until one day you'll find that China has gone miles ahead – just like the Thorium reactor thing.
@dyson9422
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
The NRC does not make nuclear reactors made to produce power safe, safer yes but not safe. Ask me now I know.
@dyson9422
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
The US Navy has used 273 small modular reactors and has 99 that are active. I don't think they need to comply with the NRC rules.
@llundber
November 4, 2025 at 10:18 am
Odd. If you add in all the materials cost, tear down costs and massive periphery costs, wind and solar are the most expensive and carbon harmful of all.
You’re doing a disservice by glossing over those details.
Comments are closed.