Valar Atomics was one of the first companies to bring a new nuclear reactor online as a Trump-era race is accelerating the construction of experimental reactors aimed at powering data centers for artificial intelligence.
NPR correspondent Geoff Brumfiel reports the policy push has translated into rapid deployments and funding for novel reactor designs, and backers argue the projects could meet the large, steady power demand from AI workloads.
Critics, the episode says, worry the breakneck pace risks compromising safety and eroding public trust in nuclear oversight.
The Short Wave segment walks through the potential benefits and the safety concerns and asks whether the current wave of projects could mark the start of a new nuclear era.
