The first small modular reactor (SMR) application has passed an intensive Phase 1 review by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), potentially marking the next chapter in civilian nuclear power in the US. The okay of the reactor Design Certification Application (DCA) for Britain-based NuScale Power means that plans can progress for Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems' 12-module SMR plant in Idaho, which is scheduled to go online in the middle of the next decade.

According to NuScale, the SMR design underwent 115,000 hours of review by the NRC , with the small number of requests for more information a reflection of the reactor's simplicity. Along with the certification, the US Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy awarded NuScale a cost-sharing financial assistance package worth US$40 million under its "US Industry Opportunities for Advanced Nuclear Technology Development" program.

The SMR is designed to replace the one or more giant reactors in current nuclear power plants with smaller modular ones that can be assembled at a central facility and then shipped to the site for installation. Each 76 x 15 ft (23 x 5 m) module has a thermal capacity of 160 MWt and generates 50 MW of electricity, yet weighs only about 700 tons and costs less than US$5,100/KW.