Small modular reactors (SMRs) are being pitched as the energy savior for AI infrastructure—but reality tells a different story. The fundamental problem? Construction timelines stretch for years while electricity output remains underwhelming. By the time an SMR comes online, AI compute demands will have already leapfrogged whatever capacity it provides.

The math simply doesn't work. Traditional nuclear plants take over a decade to build; SMRs promise faster deployment, yet still face regulatory hurdles and astronomical costs per megawatt. Meanwhile, data centers can't afford to wait—they need grid stability today, not theoretical solutions five to ten years from now.

It's worth questioning whether the nuclear narrative has become more fantasy than strategy. There are real energy solutions worth exploring—renewable grid expansion, efficiency gains, distributed computing—but glamorizing nuclear as the catch-all answer does more harm than good. Energy policy shouldn't rely on technological daydreams when practical alternatives exist.