County Officials Begin Exploring Regulations for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

Will County is beginning to explore potential regulations for small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) after recent Illinois legislation allowed their development, planning staff told the Land Use and Development Committee on Wednesday.

The state has authorized SMRs producing 300 megawatts or less, with a pilot project already underway in Champaign, according to county planning staff.

“The state of Illinois has allowed small modular nuclear reactors into Illinois as long as they are 300 megawatts or less,” explained Colin, a county planning staff member who is researching the topic. “They’re building a pilot project in Champaign to see how this would go.”

These compact nuclear facilities differ significantly from large-scale plants like Braidwood, with the reactor units small enough to be transported by truck and housed in “a large barn,” according to staff.

Committee members expressed concerns about safety and appropriate siting requirements for such facilities. Member Newquist advocated for strict oversight, saying, “My personal opinion on this is I want to make it as hard as possible for these. I don’t want to be haphazard on this because we don’t know yet what happens if something goes awry.”

Planning staff emphasized that research on the technology is still preliminary, with complications arising from the variety of SMR designs currently under development.

“I’m getting very, very confused because there are like four different fuel types and six different cooling mediums that can be available and mixtures of the two,” Colin said. “Each one has different size needs, water needs, location needs.”

Early research suggests potential land requirements could range from 20 to 120 acres depending on the facility type, though staff indicated they need more information to understand the specific requirements of different designs.

The primary anticipated application for such facilities in Will County would be to power data centers and artificial intelligence operations, which require substantial electricity for both computing and cooling systems.

“If these data centers and AI central nodes start popping up, ComEd’s going to squawk,” Colin explained. “Since my job is to be a planner, I have to look out for you guys.”

Committee member Newquist noted the growing national trend, referencing recent major investments in data centers. “Our grid as it stands today, not necessarily in Will County but at the national level, is significantly behind where it needs to be with AI. We’re not even halfway there.”

Staff indicated they are developing a white paper on the topic to provide more comprehensive information for future committee discussion, with most members expressing interest in a cautious approach.

No action was taken on the matter, which is expected to return to the committee after staff complete additional research.