Utah, Idaho and Wyoming governors tour TerraPower nuclear plant site in Wyoming

The governors of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming toured the construction site of TerraPower's Natrium nuclear plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, on Thursday, FOX 13 News reported. Bill Gates, who founded TerraPower, hosted the visit, which also included Utah Sen. John Curtis. ^[1]

TerraPower officials said the plant is designed to produce 500 megawatts at its peak, enough to power roughly 500,000 homes, and could begin generating electricity in 2031, with PacifiCorp buying the power. CEO Chris Levesque said it will use considerably less water than water-cooled reactors. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he has sought to bring a TerraPower expansion to Utah. Gates said additional reactors would be sited in the area and that announcements could come within the next year. ^[1]

Curtis questioned executives about nuclear waste disposal. Levesque said the company does not plan to reprocess spent fuel and believes disposing of it in the ground is best. Idaho Gov. Brad Little said security around fuel is needed, and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said community concerns were considered. ^[1]

Lexi Tuddenham, executive director of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah, told FOX 13 News she is concerned about who will bear the cost and burden, and about where waste would go. She called for more investment in renewable sources such as wind, solar and geothermal. ^[1]

The Natrium reactor is rated at 345 megawatts, and its molten salt energy storage can raise the plant's output to 500 megawatts, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the construction permit for Kemmerer Unit 1 in March 2026, the first it has issued for a commercial non-light-water power reactor, and the department lists 2030 as the expected completion date. TerraPower still needs a separate operating license before the plant can run. ^[2]

Cowboy State Daily reported that the group also toured the Sodium Test and Fill Facility and the reactor excavation, which TerraPower says is about halfway to its 120-foot depth. Levesque told the outlet he expects the plant to draw data center development. ^[3]