This is actually a pretty reasonable idea.  There are several considerations that need to be worked out first. Specifically:<p>1) there are few programs in the entire US which have nuclear engineering degrees (MIT has one, I believe fewer than 10 others do too), a topic requiring a sufficiently broad range of skills that its almost like a fusion [sic] of solid state physics (for robust materials), electrohydrodynamics (to understand anything relating to fusion and plasma), numerical computing (analytic solutions to realistic PDEs is a funny idea sometimes), as well complete case analysis of all possible risk and failure modes via probabilistic model building (there is in fact dedicated software used to handle the complexity of these models). In short, do we have the educational capacity to train the people needed?<p>2) at least with how current nuclear regulation is structured (which would presumably have to change), technically any new reactor designs that get approved are  "exemptions" to a general ban, so theres actually a lot of time spent finaggling approval via a somewhat insidery process.<p>3) I want fusion thats commercially viable! :). The idea of having energy become functionally free and what would then be possible boggles my mind, and I don't think anyone can fully comprehend the myriad subtle ways in which the world would immediately change. Also, while in practice dealing with fission products/waste isn't that bad (and its much more contained than waste from conventional power plants), it is logistically tricky to manage both the waste and all the people who worry about the waste.