The small town of Kemmerer recently got a preview of the proposed nuclear power plant project during an event that featured a celebrity appearance.
Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates came to Kemmerer last week for the first time. He co-founded TerraPower – the company behind the nuclear project.
“I am proud to be investing in a next generation nuclear power plant in Kemmerer and supporting the state of Wyoming as an energy leader in the US,” Gates said. “TerraPower’s Natrium reactor is an example of how energy innovation can create jobs and strengthen the American economy.”
The project was initially announced in November of 2021. It supposedly is an ‘advanced’ nuclear energy design that would be the first of its kind in the U.S. and it would have a very minimal carbon footprint. TerraPower’s hope is that the Kemmerer project could set the stage for having similar plants all over the U.S. and in doing so help the country meet its climate goals.
If the Kemmerer plant proves successful Wyoming’s major utility PacifiCorp, also known as Rocky Mountain Power, would take it over in the early 2030s.
“PacifiCorp and TerraPower have a combined commitment to providing low-cost, carbon-free energy solutions, while maintaining grid reliability and integrating dispatchable power that can support intermittent energy resources,” said Gary Hoogeveen, Rocky Mountain Power president and CEO.
Right now, Rocky Mountain Power operates the coal-fired Naughton Power Plant just outside of Kemmerer. It was recently announced the plant will switch to natural gas and eventually be retired in the late 2030s, which is a similar trend for several other coal-fired plants in Wyoming.
TerraPower’s intention is to develop five more nuclear facilities in Wyoming and Utah at or near existing coal-fired power plants. But, there are still a lot of hurdles before any of this can happen. Namely, finding a domestic fuel source, which delayed the opening date from 2028 or 2030. Right now, Russia is the only commercial source and because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that supply is not an option.
The Casper Star Tribune’s Nicole Pollack was at the event and has covered the issue closely. She said it is called a ‘chicken or the egg’ problem.
“The suppliers they need for this fuel don’t want to invest in making it until they’re confident that these reactors are going to work and they’re going to be deployed at a scale that’s economic[al] to supply,” Pollack said. “But, the company can’t start its reactors and prove that they’re going to work unless those suppliers are there and unless they can get fuel.”
Also, there is still a lot of permitting the company has to secure in the coming years. Representatives with TerraPower admitted the opening date of 2030 is ‘aggressive.’
