Deep Dive: Armenia's Public Services Regulatory Commission chief finds US modular reactor appealing

Armenia, a landlocked Caucasus nation historically reliant on its Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (built in the Soviet era and facing safety concerns due to its age and seismic location), has long sought to diversify and modernize its energy sector amid regional tensions with neighbors Azerbaijan and Turkey. The Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), Armenia's key energy regulator, signals through its chief's comment a strategic pivot toward Western nuclear solutions like small modular reactors (SMRs), which offer scalability, safety enhancements, and quicker deployment compared to traditional plants. This interest aligns with Armenia's post-2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war vulnerabilities, where energy security became paramount amid Russian-mediated peace processes faltering and growing EU-US engagement in the South Caucasus. Geopolitically, embracing US SMRs could deepen Armenia's ties with Washington, counterbalancing Moscow's waning influence via Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear giant that dominates Armenia's current nuclear operations. Key actors include the US Department of Energy and firms like NuScale Power, pushing SMR exports to allies; PSRC chief holding sway over approvals; and Yerevan's government under PM Nikol Pashinyan, navigating EU integration aspirations against Russian economic leverage. Culturally, Armenia's Soviet legacy fosters wariness of over-dependence on any single power, yet pragmatic energy needs—exacerbated by 30%+ reliance on imported gas from Iran and Russia—drive this openness. Cross-border ripples extend to Europe, where Armenia's grid ties into the South Caucasus network could enable green energy exports, aiding EU diversification from Russian gas post-Ukraine war; Turkey and Azerbaijan watch warily, fearing bolstered Armenian resilience; while Russia perceives a challenge to its regional monopoly, potentially straining CSTO alliances. For global audiences, this exemplifies micro-states leveraging great-power tech rivalries for sovereignty, with implications for non-proliferation norms as SMRs proliferate.