We've heard about these small-scale reactors for decades. Various militaries have used them for decades. We have lots of eccentric multibillionaires now, many of whom require reliable power in remote locations. Why are there no small-scale reactors offered for sale for civilian use?
Gates is behind TerraPower which is supposed to have something like that Real Soon Now, but they got a bit delayed because they originally had a partnership with China which fell victim to the trade war, so now they're regrouping.
But the answer in general is much the same as it is for larger reactors -- you need a sympathetic host country whose regulators aren't captured by fossil fuel industry lobbyists trying to destroy you. It's a political problem, not a technical one.
If he could afford to bribe all the necessary parties in China I'm sure that some other nation could be found as well. Would that even be required? Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, where naval reactors are developed, is in a suburb of Pittsburgh (surprisingly, it appears that Cyrus K. Bettis was no relation to Jerome) and has always been run by defense contractors. Lots of nuclear facilities in USA (e.g. the one in Paducah where my grandfather was exposed to radiation) have been hazards to surrounding communities. The whole point of these micronukes is that there is less nuclear fuel involved. I'm just not seeing the obstacle here, which makes me suspect the real obstacle is as yet unmentioned.
