The Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) has begun what it says is the first thorium molten salt experiment in 45-years, testing a new design for a thorium reactor that could bring a new wave of nuclear power to bear in the emerging smart grid ecosystem. Should thorium salt prove viable, it could bring a whole lot of uncertainty into the mix, regarding a utility’s smart grid and renewables strategy, in an energy market that is on the verge of being heavily disrupted. The race is on to bring the first thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR) online, and while NRG is focused on thorium molten salt as a fuel and the heat transfer medium, there are other approaches being explored…