Big Tech is betting big on SMRs to power the AI boom, but the industry is currently stuck in a “chicken-and-egg” crisis that could delay rollout until the mid-2030s. (GIS)
The fuel gap: Most next-gen reactors run on HALEU, a specialized fuel that’s currently only sold commercially by Russia. Western supply chains are years behind, meaning new reactors literally have no gas to run on.
The red tape: Regulators are still reviewing designs one by one. Until the industry gets a standardized “approve once, build anywhere” model, permitting will remain a multi-year slog.
The reality check: While Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are signing checks, the hardware is proving tricky—costs for early projects (like NuScale's) have ballooned, and major players like EDF are having to send designs back to the drawing board.