Kelly Ayotte, governor of the US state of New Hampshire, has issued an executive order directing a comprehensive review of regulatory and market factors that could affect the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs).

The order also calls for a roadmap to guide future nuclear development. Preliminary findings are due within six months, with a final report expected within two years.

It says recent studies indicate that increasing the share of nuclear generation in the overall mix of generation technologies used to power the region’s electricity needs would lead to lower electricity rates for consumers than if the region relied on increases in renewable generation such as wind and solar.