I doubt very seriously we'll be burning cleaner fuels from orange peels and newspapers like the nutty Professor Emmit Brown in the BTTF sequel. But, serious thought is going into Rethinking Nuclear Power, this NPR article was enlightening on the history of the technology:
"Almost 60 years ago, engineers in Idaho switched on the world's first nuclear power plant. It was only able to illuminate four light bulbs. The reactor vessel in Idaho stood about 8 feet high, and eventually it made enough electricity to power a building.
"A nuclear plant today can produce 10,000 times as much electricity. But for the past 20 years, new nuclear plants have been too expensive to build. Now engineers are trying to revive the industry by thinking small again.
"They're designing what they call "modular" or "mini"reactors. Instead of occupying a city block of buildings, the smallest could fit in a two-car garage. And it won't break the bank.
NPR Article: Is The Future Of Nuclear Power In Minireactors?
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