Should Wyoming let nuclear microreactor manufacturers store spent fuel in the state?
That question has been top of mind for Wyoming residents and lawmakers on the Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee this summer.
The group recently tabled a bill draft, called “Advanced nuclear reactor manufacturers-fuel storage,” that would do just that at an all-day meeting in Casper that ended around 8 p.m. But lawmakers indicated the proposal will get picked up again before the legislative budget session kicks off in February.
“[The bill] needs some more work,” said committee co-Chair Sen. Jim Anderson (R-Casper). “I think we've got five months to work it to see if we really can change some minds in Wyoming.”
Two bills related to the storage of spent nuclear fuel failed last legislative session, but interest in nuclear power has only increased since then. In May, Pres. Trump signed four executive orders aimed at “reinvigorating America’s nuclear energy industry” by accelerating the licensing process and expanding production fourfold by 2025. And two projects in the state are in the works, offering an external deadline to hammer out regulations.
The landscape of nuclear waste in Wyoming
Currently, nuclear waste is only allowed in the state when stored on-site at the nuclear power plant where it was created. That exception came about in 2022, when the Wyoming Legislature passed HB0131 - Nuclear power generation and storage-amendments in anticipation of the still in-process TerraPower nuclear plant in Kemmerer.
But it doesn't cover California-based Radiant's vision for bringing a new model to the mix of nuclear power in the country with its nuclear microreactor design Kaleidos. Its current plan is to build the microreactors, which are small enough to fit inside a single shipping container, outside Bar Nunn. The units are meant to replace diesel generators and produce up to 1 megawatt of power.
The microreactor would then be shipped to customers around the country and returned to Wyoming after use, along with the associated spent fuel. Units will need to be refueled every five years and have a 20-year product lifetime. Radiant recently signed a deal to provide the technology to the U.S. Air Force by 2028.
Radiant plans to test its Kaleidos design at the Idaho Nuclear Laboratory next year, with the goal of getting the technology licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission before 2030.
The company told state lawmakers it anticipates creating up to 10 jobs next year for construction, 75 jobs by 2028 and 250 jobs by 2035.
“Our goal is to have as many Wyomingites fill our jobs as possible,” reads a Radiant fact sheet about the project. “Although we believe 80-90% of the jobs can be filled by Wyomingites today, we are working with Casper Community College and the University of Wyoming to build programs that will help train local residents for the other 10-20%, as well as maintain a strong pipeline for the Natrona County workforce.”
Reactions from Bar Nunn
Public commenters at the Casper meeting had a lot of different opinions, with some in full support of the new legislation and some in full opposition. Others wanted more answers about the licensing process and the logistics of transporting the spent fuel back to Wyoming.
Community members from Bar Nunn made up a large part of the crowd and reflected that range of enthusiasm to skepticism.
Bar Nunn Mayor Peter Boyer advocated for bringing the bill to the state Legislature come February and said the town would “benefit greatly” from Radiant.
“It's not every day a $200 million company comes along and says to you, ‘Hey, we want to build microreactors in your backyard,’” he said.
Boyer added he initially had reservations about Radiant coming to Bar Nunn because of its proximity to town, but a lot of his fears “disappeared” as he learned more about the world of nuclear.
“ I lost most of that fear that I had and realized that this is one of the safest industries in the United States and that it would be a great compliment to this state to expand our portfolio,” he said.
Lee-Ann Newquist also lives in Bar Nunn and said the topic has divided the town, with any mention of nuclear being like “pouring gasoline on a fire.”
“ We have not been granted the ability to make choices, voice concerns for our own lives and we've not been given a vote as this nuclear agenda is being pushed upon us,” she said.
Newquist also voiced concerns about how long nuclear fuel would stay outside Bar Nunn, given the nation’s current stalemate on a permanent nuclear waste storage facility.
“ Why would we amend state statute for a company not in the business of storing spent fuel, knowing we are taking on all the risk and responsibility for the unseeable future?” she said.
Ken Hume lives on a back road in Bar Nunn that’s about “as close to this new facility as you can get,” in his words. He grew up in the shadow of Oak Ridge, one of the original Manhattan Project sites in Tennessee, and said he is in favor of Radiant’s plan.
“ I have no fear of Radiant going in close to my home, absolutely none,” he said.
Hume did have questions about transportation and how Bar Nunn and Natrona County would be compensated for the project, but he said those questions could be worked out “later down the road.”
Laura Redmond has lived in Bar Nunn for 14 years and comes from a family of oil and gas workers and miners. She advocated for a different flavor of a wait-and-see approach, by leaving room for others to make mistakes that Wyoming could then learn from.
“We should be welcoming, but we don't have to be the first. This is new technology that is unproven outside of a controlled environment that actually hasn't even been proven yet because testing is yet to commence,” she said. “I would just urge you to think that slowing down might not be a bad idea.”
Redmond also expressed concerns about how Radiant’s operations would impact traffic and emergency evacuations in the area.
Bar Nunn resident Alex Sherrow voiced concerns about Radiant’s impacts on property values and the local housing market. He said he wants the nuclear microreactor facility to be at least 10 miles away from homes.
“ For as much talk as there is about the business and the money that this will bring, it doesn't talk about the priceless community that we already have and not being able to put a price on that,” he said.
Radiant’s Chief Nuclear Officer Rita Baranwal responded to the question of distance from homes later in the meeting. She said the company’s emergency planning zone is currently calculated to be the size of the site’s boundary and that a 10 mile radius is for much larger gigawatt plants.
“ [The emergency planning zone] is two miles for small modular reactors and it's going to be even tighter for reactors that are the size of Radiant’s,” she said.
Perspectives from Northern Arapaho tribal members
Avilia Rae Friday is Northern Arapaho and spoke at the meeting with her son by her side. She lives on the Wind River Reservation and was diagnosed with a case of cancer in each breast a few years ago. She believes the disease came from living next to a now-closed uranium processing mill outside of Riverton.
“ It is a big drain on your family, both emotionally and financially,” she said. “That's something that I never want anyone to experience, especially our babies, our kids, our elders, just the community in general.”
Friday said the uranium mill has also had negative impacts on the local water supply, a claim supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s establishment of an alternate supply system and ongoing mitigation work in the area.
While the projects are different and carry different sets of risks, Friday said all of this adds to her disapproval of the Radiant project.
“ We do not want this nuclear Radiant program here, this business, these people coming to our country. This is our country, we're Native Americans. They are contaminating our life here,” she said.
Northern Arapaho tribal member Nicole Wagon echoed Friday’s sentiment.
“I'm against this due to the fact of what we stand for with our culture, to protect our land, the air, the water, and the fish and the game,” she said.
The economy, jobs, and the pros and cons of pioneering
Other people who spoke turned their attention to the opportunities for statewide economic growth and more jobs in the energy sector.
Tristy Thomas grew up in Casper and her family has been working in the nuclear industry for almost 50 years. She’s currently studying construction management at the University of Wyoming and spoke in support of the bill.
“ I'm thrilled by the potential of this project. The nuclear industry has done so much for my family and now has a chance to offer the same kind of opportunities to me and so many others across Wyoming,” she said.
When it comes to Radiant, Campbell County Commissioner Scott Clem joked that Gillette “would take it” and acknowledged there are some unknowns in the nuclear industry. But he said being completely risk averse from a business standpoint has its downfalls.
“ Do you want to communicate that Wyoming is open for business, that we are stable, predictable, that we won't give a knee jerk reaction to when people are nervous or scared?” he said. “Or do you want to communicate that Wyoming is temperamental, unstable, unpredictable, and ebbing and flowing with the tides of politics and emotionalism?”
Gillette Mayor Shay Lundvall said Wyoming should “write our own story” and be on the front lines of nuclear innovation.
“ The world is watching what Wyoming does next. And let me tell you, we are not backing down. We are forging forward, creating jobs, embracing innovation and proving once again that no one knows energy like Wyoming,” he said.
Other voices at the table
While some members of the Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee expressed excitement about the legislation, Rep. Bill Allemand (R-Midwest) remained a staunch “no.”
When asked by Sen. Cooper (R-Ten Sleep) whether the group had a responsibility to address Pres. Trump’s nuclear-related executive orders, Allemand emphasized his responsibility to the people of House District 58 in Natrona County.
“ I took an oath of office to protect those people, to protect their health and safety,” he said. “If I ever voted for this, I would not be protecting their health or their safety in my mind.”
Powder River Basin Resource Council Executive Director Sharon Buchino did not express a definitive stance on the bill, but she recommended the Joint Minerals Committee meet again before the legislative session.
Wyoming Outdoor Council Government Affairs Manager Auna Kaufman said the Lander-based advocacy group is “committed to continuing this conversation.”
Wyoming Mining Association Executive Director Travis Deti said the organization supports the bill and would create more customers for the state’s uranium supply.
The Joint Minerals Committee has not yet made an announcement about a third interim meeting.
The group of legislators also voted to endorse a bill draft that would create legal protections for nuclear security guards, including a future force at TerraPower’s forthcoming nuclear power plant in Kemmerer.
