> We will always need a source of reliable, uninterrupted power.

Which can be for example gas turbines running on carbon neutral fuels. Optimizing for lowest possible CAPEX and acceptable OPEX.

The nuclear power lock in are engineer brained imaginary perfect solutions rather than accepting good enough.

> I'm still optimistic that small modular reactors are going to see success in the coming decades.

We’ve been trying to build ”SMR” since the 50s. It has never worked out. The industry likes producing fancy PowerPoint reactors in hopes for handouts and stupid money investment.

When they get far enough and have to present real costs and timelines the projects are shunned and forgotten. Like NuScale and mPower. And the boosters online move to the next juicy SMR project.