{
  "id": 2594862,
  "title": "How a Failed Project Could Help Solve the World’s Biggest Energy Need",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/how-a-failed-project-could-help-solve-the-worlds-biggest-energy-need",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-22T03:59:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun",
    "slug": "the-japan-news-by-the-yomiuri-shimbun",
    "url": "https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/news-services/washingtonpost/20260822-344893/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the hills outside Lynchburg, Virginia, a $400 million experiment in nuclear technology lies abandoned, having been consigned to the scrap heap as the energy landscape changed. The colossal eight-story reactor, intended to mimic a nuclear plant but operate on electricity, sat unused for a decade on the campus of Liberty University. Recently, however, a newfound interest in the facility has emerged, as two engineers with ties to SpaceX see potential in resurrecting this dormant project to address one of the country's most pressing energy challenges – powering data centers.\n\nThe engineers, Ben Kellie and Paul Keutelian, co-founded Applied Atomics, a start-up with a bold vision. They believe that the forgotten facility could serve as a launching pad for building small, more agile nuclear reactors that could deliver cheap, reliable energy. Despite billions being spent on developing such designs since the 1960s, none have found their way into the U.S. commercial market. Industry experts are wary, pointing to spiraling costs, safety concerns, and engineering glitches as common pitfalls that often doom similar projects.\n\nThe engineers are undeterred, drawing inspiration from the past. The facility's roots trace back to a 1960s initiative by Babcock & Wilcox, the company that would later become BWXT. They were tasked with powering merchant ships with nuclear reactors, a project that operated successfully in the 1970s. The engineers now aim to apply their knowledge to a different kind of reactor – a compact, modular design that could be mass-produced and deployed as needed, potentially even offshore.\n\nOne of the key advantages of this approach is the potential for floating power plants, anchored offshore and delivering electricity to nearby grids or industrial facilities. This concept echoes the past successes of nuclear-powered ships but introduces a new level of modularity and adaptability. While the engineers acknowledge that it will likely be another five years before their first 195-megawatt reactor comes online, they remain optimistic about the prospects for this innovative approach to energy generation.",
  "summary": "LYNCHBURG, Va. - The sci-fi-worthy machine soaring 120 feet tall in the hills outside Lynchburg had been all but left for dead - a $400 million experiment that collapsed as the energy economy shifted and the financial prospects for next-generation nuclear technology soured.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}