Small nuke reactors emerge as energy option, but risks loom

A model of a Small Modular Reactor facility that Rolls-Royce SMR hopes to have operational by the end of the decade is seen in this handout render provided by Rolls-Royce SMR on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022. A global search for alternative sources to Russian energy during the war in Ukraine has refocused attention on smaller, easier-to-build nuclear power stations that proponents say they could provide a cheaper, more efficient alternative to older model mega-plants but detractors warn of heightened risks including the disposal of highly radioactive wave and the specter of nuclear weapons proliferation.