link to original reddit post by /u/nishinoran
The government has been smothering nuclear energy for decades now under the weight of massive regulation.
As a result it takes decades to recoup costs to build one, and it becomes a difficult investment for someone to make given our limited lifespans.
Government has successfully regulated nuclear to the point of that it takes most of a human life to recoup on the initial investment.
Most nuclear energy enthusiasts are very excited about the development of small modular reactors, some of which are small enough to be shipped in a typical shipping container (what you see on the backs of semi-trucks).
While tons of people tout the benefits of a self-contained emergency shutoff system, modularity allowing for incremental investment and maintenance, small size making it easier to deploy to more remote locations, and a myriad of other benefits that SMRs bring, I feel like most of the pundits are missing one of the biggest advantages these bring: out-of-the-box regulatory compliance.
Similar to how a huge part of getting a medicine to market is getting through all of the FDAs regulatory hoops, building a nuclear plant means navigating a veritable minefield of rules and compliance laws, and this has to be done independently for every single new plant.
SMRs are going to unleash a new wave of nuclear energy production, and a massive part of why is because they will allow people to largely sidestep the currently insane regulatory burden of building a new plant. The SMR company gets their innards validated and signed off on, and from there the mass production and distribution can begin.
I don't want to downplay the significant technological advantages that SMRs bring, but I think it's important for everyone to be aware that it was overbearing government that created this problem that has led to slow nuclear adoption, not the existing nuclear tech we have.