Small Nuclear Positions Itself to Get Big

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When you think of nuclear power, you might picture a sprawling plant capped with those massive cooling towers. A Denver company has developed something that looks a lot different. "The reactor itself is about, oh, a meter and a half wide by two meters tall," says John Deal, the CEO of Hyperion Power Generation. "It's very compact, it's about the size of a telephone booth." Deal's company is one of several working on small-scale nuclear. The goal is to get around many of the concerns that have prevented nuclear from taking off in this country, such as issues with national security, health, and cost. Deal says the technology has global applications like providing power to remote spots. He joined us from his office in downtown Denver.