Wyoming selected for reactor demonstration

It appears nuclear energy will be coming to Wyoming in the near future.

In a press release from the Office of Governor Mark Gordon, it was announced TerraPower and PacificCorp would be undergoing efforts to advance a Natrium reactor demonstration project at a retiring coal plant in Wyoming. No site was announced by the companies but it was stated they were evaluating several potential locations.

“I am thrilled to see Wyoming selected for this demonstration pilot project as our great state is the perfect place for this type of innovative utility facility and our coal-experienced workforce is looking forward to the jobs this project will provide,” said Gordon in the press release. “I have always supported an all-of-the-above energy portfolio for our electric utilities. Our state continues to pave the way for the future of energy and Wyoming should be the place where innovative energy technologies are taken to commercialization.”

According to the press release from the governor’s office, the development of a nuclear energy facility would bring tax revenue to Wyoming’s state budget which has been in a significant decline in recent years. The release went on to state that the demonstration project would allow both PacifiCorp and local communities to “provide well-paying and long-term jobs for workers in Wyoming communities that have decades of energy experience.”

Gary Hoogeveen, president and CEO of Rocky Mountain Power, a subsidiary of PacifiCorp, said “This project is an exciting economic opportunity for Wyoming. Siting a Natrium advanced reactor at a retiring Wyoming coal plant could ensure that a formerly productive coal generation site continues to produce reliable power for our customers.”

Rocky Mountain Power has had a significant presence in Wyoming in regards to developing alternative energy, especially in Carbon County. In February, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) approved construction of a transmission line that would run between the Shirley Basin Substation in Carbon County and the Windstar Substation in Natrona County. Rocky Mountain Power has also undertaken construction of the TB Flats and Ekola Flats wind energy projects.

“I commend Rocky Mountain Power for joining with TerraPower in helping Wyoming develop solutions so that our communities remain viable and continue to thrive in a changing economy while keeping the state at the forefront of energy solutions,” said Wyoming Senate President Dan Dockstader.

TerraPower is a Washington-based nuclear reactor design company and one of its primary investors is billionaire Bill Gate. TerraPower was awarded $80 million of initial funding in October 2020 by the United States Department of Energy. Awarded through the department’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, the funding was provided to demonstrate Natrium technology. TerraPower signed the cooperative agreement with the Department of Energy in May 2021.

The location of the Natrium demonstration plant is expected to be announced by the end of 2021. According to the press release from the governor’s office, the demonstration project is intended to “validate the design, construction and operational features of the Natirum technology”. Natrium is a technology developed by both TerraPower and GE Hitachi.

While Gordon, Rocky Mountain Power and legislative leadership praised the demonstration project, it does have its detractors. Among them is the Powder River Basin Resource Council.

“While we support efforts to reduce carbon emissions, we have many questions surrounding Governor Gordon’s proposal to build a small nuclear reactor in Wyoming,” said Marcia Westkott, chair of the Powder River Basin Resource Council, in a press release. “This technology is still experimental and unproven; the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has yet to license a design, so this announcement appears to be premature.”

Westkott went on to state the resource council had concerns about the cost to build the facility, how much water would be needed for operation and how waste would be stored safely. She added uranium mining would not replace the lost revenue from the decline of coal as there were no royalties and “very little” severance tax would be generated.

“Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of this latest claim of a ‘silver bullet’ to save Wyoming’s economy is that it once again diverts attention away from our very real crisis in revenue, jobs and community survival,” Westkott said.