What’s New? Today, TerraPower and PacifiCorp announced a partnership to advance the Natrium nuclear demonstration project at the site of a coal plant scheduled for retirement in Wyoming. Senator John Barrasso, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, TerraPower President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Levesque, Rocky Mountain Power President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Hoogeveen and Nuclear Energy Institute President and Chief Executive Officer Maria Korsnick attended an event at the Wyoming State Capitol in a show of industry and bipartisan support for the effort.
The announcement underscores the importance of nuclear technologies to the nation’s clean energy transition as more coal power plants face retirement, while signaling progress on a public-private partnership intended to deploy advanced nuclear technologies essential to reaching climate goals.
Fast Facts
- TerraPower, along with X-Energy, were awarded funding last year from the U.S. Department of Energy for first-of-their-kind demonstration projects, supporting a pipeline of advanced nuclear technologies to be available later this decade.
- Small modular reactors and advanced nuclear technologies offer a path forward for retired coal plants and their workers. Taking advantage of existing infrastructure will reduce electricity costs and in circumstances where technologies are compatible, lower construction costs.
- Considerable overlap exists between job functions at a coal power plant to a nuclear power plant. In fact, nuclear is uniquely positioned to redirect skilled workers from the coal power industry to new nuclear plants, while historically offering the highest median wage across the entire energy sector. Retaining these jobs support local communities that may otherwise be devastated by the shutdown of coal power stations.
- Interest for new nuclear plants is growing beyond Wyoming as states in the western region like Montana, Nebraska, Utah, Idaho and North Dakota reevaluate the role of nuclear energy—particularly applications for advanced nuclear reactors that pair well with wind and solar.
Big Picture: TerraPower and PacifiCorp are evaluating several potential locations in the state for the Natrium demonstration project, offering a solution to efficiently and economically bridge the nation’s energy transition as coal plants retire. The partnership marks a significant moment for the industry in advancing a coal to nuclear transition. It also mirrors recent interest by utilities and technology developers like Tennessee Valley Authority and NuScale to explore the possibilities of a coal to nuclear transition.
This effort also demonstrates the essential role of public-private partnerships in spurring clean energy technology deployment as considerations to incorporate nuclear energy are made by new customers and in different regions of the country.
What Maria Korsnick, president and chief executive officer of NEI, has to say: “TerraPower is leading the way by expanding the potential for advanced nuclear technologies in our energy transition. TerraPower’s decision bolsters the trends we have seen by technology developers, utilities and bipartisan policymakers, like Senator Barrasso and Secretary Granholm, to position nuclear energy as a key element in a carbon-free economy.
“As the nation continues on this path, policymakers should increase investment in programs and technologies that support the growth of carbon-free energy, while sustaining and supporting the economic growth of communities critical to this transition. With coal plants retiring, a transition to nuclear means we can continue to use the expertise of coal workers and infrastructure developed over decades to achieve our decarbonization goals, while delivering well-paid, highly-skilled jobs in coal communities.”
What to Look for Next: Increased funding and support of public-private partnerships—most recently proposed in President Biden’s budget proposal with the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) projects. Congress is also expected to appropriate funds to advance the ARDP projects, along with other advanced nuclear technology projects. NEI will continue to work with state and federal policymakers to incentivize a coal to nuclear transition and accelerate efforts to build and deploy next-generation nuclear plants.
Available Expert: To speak with an NEI expert contact [email protected] or 202.739.8156.
