A company backed by Bill Gates announced it is planning to build a small nuclear power plant in Wyoming on the site of a coal-powered plant that is shutting down.
TerraPower’s Natrium plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming will be the site of the first nuclear power plant using this advanced nuclear technology that is designed to be smaller and more flexible in terms of output than current nuclear plants in the U.S. fleet.
The project will get about $1.9 billion from the federal government including $1.5 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed this week. The bill included about $2.5 billion for advanced nuclear reactors.
Pending permits, the 345 megawatt plant will open in 2028, which is the timeline mandated by Congress. It plans to start construction in 2024 after getting the necessary approvals from the NRC.
The plant will produce enough power for about 400,000 homes and will operate for at least 60 years, TerraPower said.