Human Tech Tree
Current research2020–2026 · Present (2015 – Oct 2026)

Energy & Industry / Energy

New Reactors & SMRs

Nuclear power set a generation record in 2025 (2,702 TWh); on 30 September 2026 the US issued its first construction permit for a commercial SMR.

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Small modular reactors (SMRs, mostly under 300 MW) are meant to be built in series in factories rather than one by one on site, to cut cost and build time. So far hardly any are in commercial operation: Russia's floating plant since 2020, China's high-temperature reactor HTR-PM since late 2023.

As of October 2026

Nuclear plants generated 2,702 TWh worldwide in 2025 (about 8.5% of world electricity, a record), and 82 GW are under construction (World Nuclear Association). On 30 September 2026 the US regulator NRC issued TVA the first construction permit for a commercial SMR in the US (BWRX-300, 300 MW, Clinch River); in March 2026 the NRC commissioners had approved TerraPower's sodium-cooled Natrium plant in Wyoming, and in Canada the first BWRX-300 is under construction at Darlington. China's Linglong One (125 MW) missed its target of starting operation in the first half of 2026 and was still in commissioning in September, with trade press now expecting early 2027 (not officially confirmed); in the US, four DOE-authorised test reactors reached zero-power criticality in June and July 2026.

Open steps

  • Faster safety-case drafting and review High AI leverageUse AI to draft and cross-check licence documents against regulations, with human sign-off, to shorten multi-year reviews.
  • HALEU fuel supply and qualification Low AI leverageBuild enrichment and fuel fabrication at commercial scale and finish fuel qualification for the first advanced designs.
  • Cost of the nth unit Low AI leverageShow that factory-built modules and repeated sites cut costs from first-of-a-kind levels; the BWRX-300 units in Canada and the US are the test.
  • Load-following and process heat Medium AI leverageProve SMRs can ramp output with solar and wind and supply industrial heat, which sets their value on a renewable-heavy grid.

Where AI could help

Low AI leverage. Licensing, financing and construction decide SMR timelines; AI mainly speeds document review, design checks and operations support.

  • Search and cross-check licensing documents and operating records faster
  • Run fast surrogate models of reactor physics and thermal hydraulics
  • Support inspection and predictive maintenance in operating plants
  • Help optimise fuel loading and construction scheduling

Shown so far

  • In July 2025, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Atomic Canyon signed an agreement to speed nuclear licensing with AI document tools trained on 53 million NRC pages; no measured results were reported. source

Prerequisites

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Sources

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