Several universities to experiment with micro nuclear power

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT
Associated Press

The next big thing in nuclear power could be tiny — little reactors that are far smaller and far cheaper than the traditional massive nuclear plants topped by giant concrete cooling towers. These new devices generate small but meaningful amounts of electricity that can be enough to power a small college campus, a hospital or a military complex, for example. In fact, a slew of universities are eager to try the technology to generate clean power to help combat climate change. Not everyone is convinced. The Union of Concerned Scientists says one issue is that the microreactors could generate more uranium waste per unit of electricity than conventional reactors. They point out the U.S. does not have a national storage facility for this radioactive waste.