NRC, residents discuss TerraPower SMR plans in Wyoming
A public hearing in Kemmerer, Wyo., drew dozens of comments and questions about TerraPower’s plans to build the Natrium nuclear reactor demonstration project in the coming years.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission presented information about and discussed the project with residents on July 16 as part of its extensive environmental review of the project to be sited on 334 acres near the Naughton coal and natural gas power plant. Even though TerraPower officially broke ground on nonnuclear construction work at the site in June, the NRC still has to sign off on a license and construction permit for the project to move forward.
“It’s very important for us to solicit your impact, or your input, on what the environmental [characteristics] you believe are present in the community and how the project is going to affect you,” said Joe O’Hara, environmental project manager with the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Division, as reported by WyoFile.
What they’re saying: Some residents raised concerns about the public services impact—such as water supply and infrastructure maintenance—from the dramatic growth expected from the project, including questions over who would pay for improvements in the roughly 2,400 person southwest Wyoming town. WyoFile reports that local basic services, such as water, education, housing, and health care, have been in decline for years.
Other commenters asked what safeguards would be in place for the area’s watershed and to protect residents against radioactivity exposure. Additionally, Kemmerer resident Marshal Corwin raised concern about a volcano located about four hours north of the project site. “Barring any accident [happening], the consequences could be world changing,” he told NRC staff.
Other locals expressed support for the plant and want to see the economic boost that the expected $4 billion construction project could bring to the region. Roughly 1,600 workers will be needed for Natrium’s construction at the project’s peak, and the build is expected to take five years. Once operational, the company estimates it will support 250 jobs on-site, including security.
About Natrium: TerraPower has designed a first-of-its-kind commercial advanced reactor that would use liquid sodium as a coolant instead of water. According to the company, the Natrium reactor features improved fuel utilization, enhanced safety features, and a streamlined plant layout that will reduce the overall amount of materials needed to construct the plant.
Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 would operate as a 345-MW sodium-cooled reactor in conjunction with molten salt–based energy storage. The plant’s storage technology would enable boosting of the system’s output to 500 MWe—enough energy to power 400,000 homes—for more than five and a half hours when needed to meet additional grid demand.
Natrium is one of two advanced reactor demonstration projects selected for competitive funding through the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. (X-energy’s Xe-100 is the other.)
TerraPower received $1.6 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden in November 2022. The Bill Gates–backed company has also raised more than $1 billion in private funding. Earlier this year, TerraPower announced the second round of contracts for long-lead suppliers supporting the development of the Natrium reactor.
TerraPower hopes to bring the Natrium plant on line by 2030 and then build additional units in Wyoming and elsewhere.
What’s next? The NRC is accepting public comments through August 12, which can be submitted via this federal portal.
After the public comment period closes, the NRC plans to publish a scoping report. The agency expects to publish its first draft of the environmental impact statement in July 2025.
