Small Nuclear Reactors Are Finally Real — Here's What's Actually Built #Nuclear #Energy

On June 4, 2026, a small test reactor built by a private startup went critical at Idaho National Laboratory. Within a month, three more followed, beating a July 4 deadline set by the White House. For decades, small modular reactors were mostly drawings and press releases. Now some of them actually exist. This video explains what a small modular reactor is and why tech companies, the military, and utilities suddenly want them, why America's last giant reactors scared utilities away, what happened in the summer 2026 race to criticality, which projects now have construction permits, how America compares with Canada, China, and others, and whether small reactors can really deliver cheap, clean power. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:34 Bigger Was Not Better 02:56 What Makes A Reactor Small 04:58 The Fourth Of July Race 06:30 The First Permits 08:44 The Race Abroad 09:57 The Cost Question Would you be comfortable living a few miles from a small nuclear reactor if it powered your town? Tell me in the comments. Footage: TerraPower, Kairos Power, NuScale Power, Ontario Power Generation, GE Vernova, Georgia Power, EPRI. Short excerpts used for commentary and news reporting.