Nation's First Nuclear Power Plant in Nearly Half a Century Breaks Ground in Wyoming

It was in 1978, 46 years ago, that the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant in North Carolina began construction.

Unlike the Harris Nuclear Plant, which had a capacity of 860 megawatts when built, the pilot Natrium nuclear power plant in Kemmerer “is designed to generate a consistent 345 megawatts of power — enough energy to power about 250,000 homes — with a capability of ramping up to 500 megawatts for short periods, according to the Bellevue, Washington-based TerraPower,” reported Dustin Bleizeffer, who covers energy and climate for WyoFile, on June 10.

Rather than the industry’s existing standard of massive nuclear power plants that consume a lot of water, Natrium is much smaller and will use liquid sodium to cool the reactor.

Construction of the small modular reactor, posted here in November 2021, was delayed by the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia three months later, resulting in legislation last month affecting the fuel supply. Gates, appearing on CBS's Face the Nation on June 9, “noted that...suppliers in the United Kingdom and South Africa, along with an eventual supply from uranium mines in the U.S. and Canada will allow the project to go forward.”

A final note by Bleizeffer on the importance of the plant to Wyoming and a sign of the transition to cleaner fuels for the nation's largest coal-producing state.

The $4 billion construction project is also considered an economic lifeline for southwest Wyoming, particularly the adjacent towns of Kemmerer and Diamondville, a region impacted by fossil fuels’ decline. 

Hat tip to Sammy Roth, climate columnist for the Los Angeles Times newsletter, Boiling Point.