Kemmerer, Wyo. — On a windswept hill above a construction site, an American flag snaps as crews prepare to build what would be only the fourth nuclear reactor completed in the United States this century and one of the first of a new generation of advanced designs.
Terra Power, the Washington state company co-founded by Bill Gates, says the Kemmerer project marks the start of a broader nuclear revival. CEO Chris Levesque notes that while the technology is modern, much of the plant’s business and community context echo the sixty-year-old coal plant down the road. The company argues its advanced reactor design is safer and faster to construct than older models.
The decision to break ground comes amid forecasts of rising electricity demand driven in part by artificial intelligence and data centers. The International Energy Agency and other analysts expect U.S. data-center energy use to climb dramatically by 2030. Major technology firms and the federal government are investing in new nuclear capacity; Terra Power has signed agreements with Meta for reactors to help power the company’s data centers.
In March the Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted Terra Power a final construction permit after about five years of safety reviews, testing and a siting competition that selected Kemmerer over other Western locations. Much of the plant will be built below ground and will use liquid sodium rather than water as the reactor coolant. If construction and licensing proceed on schedule, the company says the plant could begin producing power by 2031 and generate enough electricity to serve nearly half a million homes, likely sold into utilities around the Salt Lake City area.
The project traces to a Department of Energy pilot program started under the previous administration, and Congress provided substantial backing through the Biden administration’s infrastructure package. About half the estimated construction cost — roughly $2 billion — is covered by federal support, Terra Power says. Company leaders point to backing from Wyoming’s governor and congressional delegation. The state, long dependent on coal, is actively courting nuclear development and new uranium production; neighboring Idaho and Utah are also positioning themselves for roles in the emerging industry. Utah officials have promoted a proposed DOE nuclear hub for fuel enrichment, recycling and waste storage, which could affect regional projects.
Supporters, including state leaders, frame nuclear as necessary to secure abundant, low-carbon power. Critics and local advocates caution the industry still raises serious concerns. Tribal communities and downwind populations in the West have long borne the effects of uranium mining and radioactive waste; activists say the region should not become a new “sacrifice zone.” Environmental groups question whether advanced reactors truly solve waste and safety problems and worry about continued costs for taxpayers and ratepayers.
Terra Power says the Wyoming plant will store spent fuel on site, as conventional reactors do, until a federal permanent repository is available, and that its technology limits the volume of long-lived waste compared with older designs.
For Kemmerer, a town of about 3,000 in one of America’s top coal-producing counties, the project represents economic opportunity after years of job losses tied to coal-plant closures. City officials say construction is already creating hundreds of skilled jobs, some equipment and infrastructure at the old Naughton plant will be converted to natural gas preserving roughly 100 existing positions, and local leaders are lobbying for additional nuclear investment. As community members weigh the risks and rewards, Kemmerer officials emphasize their energy experience and hope the project will offer a path toward economic stability for the region.