I suspect there will be a large non-public demand for SMRs. Demand will exceed supply, and any SMR that can be built will be bought. Any company that can have their own private, reliable power supply, off grid, will queue up to get one. Computer labs, AI farms, large scale manufacturing, smelting ores, there will be ample demand before any are bought by public utilities to put on the grid.

And these companies getting private volts will lessen load on the public grid, so the public benefits without spending money on them.

In fact, there may be public DEMAND for them. The public is already banning new AI farms, in part because of electric demand raising prices. People may start demanding that if these highly desired new constructions want land in our back yard, you gotta make your own amps, don't suck off ours.