A next-generation nuclear plant has been planned to be constructed in Wyoming in the coming years and will be constructed by Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder. The facility will be constructed on a coal-fired power plant that is going to be retired soon and will feature a sodium reactor and molten salt energy storage system and will perform better, be safer, and cost less than traditional nuclear power. Named the ‘Natrium reactor” the plant will be operated by TerraPower, a company that has Bill Gates on the board, and PacifiCorp company, owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway.
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Wyoming is the top uranium-mining state. The reactor would use uranium from mines on-site that extract the heavy metal from networks of water wells on the high plains, according to officials. The 345 MW plant, if all goes as planned, would be capable of powering around 250,000 and would produce hydrogen, which can power trucks and other vehicles with fuel cells. Several coal-fired power plant closures are planned in the coming years, including some in Wyoming, which is the top coal-mining state, and a nuclear plant with hundreds of well-playing jobs, sending power over transmission lines already in place, could possibly offset the economic blow of a coal plant retirement.
“Wyoming has been a leader in energy for over a century and we hope our investment in Natrium will help Wyoming to stay in the lead for many decades to come,” said Mark Gordon, Wyoming’s Governor, “We think Natrium will be a game-changer for the energy industry.” “The future of nuclear energy is here,” said Jennifer Granholm, the US Energy Secretary. “It’s got a simpler design that will hopefully result in faster construction at a lower cost. It’s going to create a smaller footprint. It’s going to be equipped with next-generation safety measures.”
