Experimental Nuclear Power Plant Backed By Bill Gates Heads To Wyoming

An experimental nuclear power plant project backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is headed to a small city in Wyoming, one of the US’s top coal mining states.

According to an announcement on Tuesday, which came just days after the end of the COP26 summit, a new Natrium nuclear power plant will be built in Kemmerer, Wyoming. It will replace a coal-fired plant that is set to shut its doors in 2025. 

People across Wyoming welcomed us into their communities over the past several months, and we are excited to work with PacifiCorp to build the first Natrium plant in Kemmerer,” said Chris Levesque, president and CEO of TerraPower, the company behind the project. “Our innovative technology will help ensure the continued production of reliable electricity while also transitioning our energy system and creating new, good-paying jobs in Wyoming.”

Construction of the plant is set to begin in 2024, employing as many as 2,000 people during this initial stage then 250 people once fully operational. If the 345-megawatt plant proves to be as reliable as conventional nuclear power, then it will produce enough eco-friendly power to serve around 250,000 homes. 

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