TerraPower Breaks Ground on Revolutionary Nuclear Facility in Wyoming, USA.

TerraPower, backed by Bill Gates, commenced construction on Monday in Kemmerer, Wyoming, on what is set to be America’s first next-generation nuclear power facility and the world’s most advanced nuclear plant.

“This is a big step toward safe, abundant, zero-carbon energy,” Gates stated during the groundbreaking ceremony. “And it’s important for the future of this country that projects like this succeed.”

Addressing the audience, Gates highlighted the significance of the project, saying they were “standing on what will soon be the bedrock of America’s energy future.”

Co-founded by Gates, TerraPower aims to “revolutionize” power generation. The construction site in Wyoming is being prepared for the installation of a cutting-edge reactor. In March, TerraPower applied for a construction permit for an advanced nuclear reactor that uses sodium instead of water for cooling.

Though non-water-cooling reactor technology has existed for some time, Gates’ initiative in Wyoming marks the first attempt in 40 years by a private company to commercially launch such an advanced reactor.

The new facility is located next to the Naughton Power Plant, a coal-burning plant scheduled to cease coal operations in 2026 and switch to natural gas, which it will phase out around 2036. Naughton plans to source clean energy from the TerraPower reactor.

This groundbreaking project places America in a race against Russia, which is also developing reactors utilizing sodium for cooling.