The tech billionaire’s Earth Fund granted $3.5M to the nonprofit Nuclear Scaling Initiative (NSI) to build an industry "orderbook,” essentially a buyer's club that commits to purchasing 10 new US nuclear reactors. Why it matters: Nuclear costs usually spiral because every plant is a custom, one-off construction job plagued by unique risks. The NSI model envisions reactors as standardized products to give suppliers the volume certainty they need to lower prices.