A Natrium reactor will be built in Kemmerer, Wyoming, which the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy said will create thousands of construction jobs.
The federal agency's announcement came in a Nov. 16 statement that noted the state generates 90% of its electricity from fossil fuels. This new design will create clean and efficient power across the country.
"The U.S. Department of Energy is extremely excited about this project and plans to invest $2 billion to support the licensing, construction and demonstration of this first-of-a-kind reactor by 2028," the department said.
The reactor will be built by TerraPower, a nuclear reactor design and engineering company with headquarters in Washington, according to their website. Agency officials said the Kemmerer-based reactor represents the future of advanced nuclear reactor technology. It is the first commercial reactor in Wyoming and one of the first advanced reactors in the country.
The site of a retiring coal plant was chosen as the location of the reactor. It was decided on after an extensive evaluation while also hearing feedback from the community, according to a statement by TerraPower. Factors for the site included the community response, the site's physical characteristics and the site's ability to get a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the release said.
Natrium is a sodium-cooled fast reactor that pairs with a molten salt energy storage system to operate with renewable power sources. It will be fast and affordable to build and will be able to generate carbon-free heat and electricity, according to the DOE. There are two other advanced reactors expected to be built in Washington and Idaho, as well.
In 2019, PacifiCorp, the largest utility in Wyoming, announced it had a goal to cut its coal fleet by two-thirds by 2030, which would cost 1,600 jobs. It would also cost millions in tax revenue. This new project will help alleviate this concern, as on top of jobs tied to construction, it will create hundreds of jobs for the area once completed, the release said.
The project attracted some attention on the internet, with retired engineer Dan Sideen expressing his interest through Twitter.
"It will be interesting to watch the Natrium project. Should be the first advanced design to start construction in the U.S.," Sideen tweeted.
It is anticipated that TerraPower will submit the construction permit application to NRC in 2023 and will be operational within the next seven years, the release said. The company hopes to begin construction by 2024.
