First Nuclear Reactor for Home Use Approved in California

A nuclear reactor for home use was approved after a contentious meeting at the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meeting in Santa Rosa, California last week. The deciding vote was cast by Supervisor Adam Balm who noted that this moment starts the revolution of self-sufficient home energy production that will overtake solar as the alternative power source of choice.

The reactor was salvaged from a decommissioned November Class Russian nuclear submarine from the 1960s and appears to be in decent condition. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission completed a site inspection of the reactor and after carefully reviewing the installation plans, gave its approval for a pilot project. “We have several dozen decommissioned nuclear submarines with viable reactors that could find new life providing power in rural areas,” suggested Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Lionel Mandrake.

During a wide-ranging interview, Robert Brewster, the owner of the reactor said, “I was looking through the Facebook Market Place last year and the power plant from the nuclear submarine Rostovskiy showed up in my feed. Somebody in New Jersey had picked it up at auction and posted it for sale. To ship it without special permits, I entered “scrap metal” on the manifest and FedEx Ground took care of the rest. The hard part was obtaining the necessary local permits and inspections to complete the installation.  Getting the variance approved by the Board of Supervisors was the last step.”

Neighbors have been supportive due to Brewster’s offer of free electricity for decades to come. When asked about the possibility of radioactive gas or water leaks Brewster brushed off those concerns saying, “You know, you guys always bring up the negative. Remember, we are pelted with radioactive particles day and night from outer space, and we seem to survive nicely. And by the way, the only complaint I’ve heard comes from my competition, Pacific Gas and Electric. They are frightened of the potential hit to their bottom line if this idea spreads.”

Mr. Brewster believes his reactor will safely function for at least 75 years before the fuel rods are exhausted. The Department of Energy has offered to transport any of his nuclear waste to Yucca Flats for long term storage at no charge.

If the project is successful, decommissioned nuclear reactors could be the joule in the crown of rural power generation.