Existing Reactors vs. Small Modular Reactors

[johnblockbuster]

Meta’s most immediate energy boost comes from Vistra, which will supply 2.1 gigawatts from existing nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania under a 20-year agreement. These reactors represent some of the cheapest large-scale electricity available, making them an obvious short-term solution for Meta’s expanding compute demands.

Longer term, Meta is backing SMRs from Oklo and TerraPower, betting that factory-built reactors can eventually deliver nuclear power faster and cheaper at scale. While SMRs promise flexibility and mass manufacturing efficiencies, they remain largely unproven — making Meta’s deals a real-world test of whether nuclear startups can deliver on ambitious cost and timeline promises.

[cryptobro]

smrs feel like the ultimate “cool if it works” bet, but there’s a lot of if doing work there