Generally speaking, the vast majority of nuclear powered generators are around 1100-1300 MW. There’s one plant with 2 units about 6 miles from home, as the crow flies.
But there is no reason that smaller ones can’t be made. Cheaply? No, they won’t be made cheaply. But they are possible.
From the operational standpoint, the downside to nuclear generation is that it takes nearly an act of congress for them to run at reduced power. So when the load falls off, like it does at night in the summer, all the other generators have to reduce output or even come off line. I don’t know what the peak demand and base load is on the islands, but I can see a huge generator being a bit of a problem.
Yeah, from the late 60’s the builders pretty much talked themselves up from 500 MW to the over 1,000 MW zone. Mumbo jumbo about economies of scale, etc. But if you ever want to hear industrial grade whining just sit around a table full of guys from Combustion Engineering, GE, Westinghouse, Foster Wheeler, and a few more of their friends and listen to why they can’t make smaller, community sized, units.
Never mind that a pressurized water Naval Nuclear reactor is good for about 36,000 horsepower, or so. Super carrier units are a bit larger but in the same zone. And they only need a puddle of water to keep them working but that’s enough power to run a good sized town.
Maybe it’s harder now , since Hilliary sold half or our uranium to Russia and SloJoe locked up the other half in the Grand Canyon? But we should be using them. It’s a way-better option than wrecking a coal train every few weeks.