Last month, Amazon announced it had signed an agreement to develop four small-scale modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs, along the Columbia River to power its data centers in Eastern Oregon. The e-commerce giant also touted nuclear energy as a “safe source of carbon-free energy” that would allow it to achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2040. 

Energy Northwest, a consortium of publicly owned utilities, is partnering with Amazon on the development of the SMRs in southeast Washington. Under the agreement, Energy Northwest could build an additional eight SMRs that would generate enough electricity to meet the needs of more than 770,000 homes in the region. OPB rural communities reporter Antonio Sierra recently looked into this technology, its safety and how it differs from traditional nuclear reactors. He joins us to share what he’s learned.