Each of the reactors will be a small, modular, 125MW advanced light water reactor, which at the present time includes a design for the nuclear core and steam generator to be located at the same site, with passive safety designs.

FORBES: TVA Signs Deal for Modular Nuclear Reactors

The good news is that the big names in nuclear energy -- like Areva, Hitachi, General Electric and Toshiba -- have recently been joined by a bevy of high-tech start-ups seeking to develop advanced nuclear-reactor designs for both fission and fusion energy production.

WSJ: The New Nuclear Revolution

The U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies has analyzed recent commercial satellite imagery of the Nyongbyon nuclear facility, where the reactor was shut down in 2007 under the terms of a disarmament agreement.

NPR: SKorea: North Korea Moved Missile To East Coast

The fission-reactor designs of the start-ups are very different from the existing plants and even from the advanced designs put out by the established players.

WSJ: The New Nuclear Revolution

The study identified future potential electric generation capacity of 158 gigawatts for advanced coal, 78 gigawatts for water and dry-cooled concentrated solar energy and 515 gigawatts for large nuclear reactor plants.

FORBES: Plotting The Next-Generation U.S. Power Grid