The Digester

NRC approves Gates-backed TerraPower sodium reactor permit in Wyoming

Mar 5th 2026

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a construction permit for a Bill Gates-backed TerraPower sodium-cooled reactor near Kemmerer, Wyoming, marking the first U.S. commercial reactor permit in eight years and the first non-light-water approval in over 40 years.

  • The Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted a construction permit to TerraPower for a sodium-cooled reactor near Kemmerer, Wyoming.
  • This is the first U.S. commercial reactor construction permit in eight years and the first non-light-water permit in more than 40 years.
  • TerraPower says construction will begin within weeks on a project budgeted at up to $4 billion and targeted for completion by 2030.
  • The reactor is rated at 345 megawatts with up to 500 megawatts peak output, enough power for as many as 400,000 homes.
  • The design uses molten sodium coolant and highly enriched uranium, with TerraPower lining up domestic and South African fuel sources.
  • Spent fuel disposal remains an unresolved national issue and the Department of Energy is exploring state partnerships to modernize the fuel cycle.

Sources

apnews.com