Small Modular Reactors Get Their First Real Customers

After years of prototypes and paperwork, small modular nuclear reactors are landing actual commercial orders.Data center operators, hungry for round-the-clock carbon-free power, have emerged as unexpectedly strong early customers for the technology. The reactors' smaller footprint and factory-built components promise shorter construction timelines than traditional plants, though regulators are still working through certification processes tailored to the new designs. Analysts remain divided on whether costs will fall as promised once production scales up.