Bill Gates-Backed TerraPower Wins First US Reactor Construction Permit in Nearly a Decade

"TerraPower is at the forefront of a new generation of nuclear reactors designed to make nuclear energy safer, cheaper, and easier to deploy than the large plants built in the 20th century. The company plans to have its site, which broke ground in 2024, operational by 2031, a much faster timeline than conventional nuclear plants in the West, which often take more than a decade to complete."

"Alongside the reactor being about a third the size of a conventional nuclear reactor, TerraPower's design also differs in that it uses liquid sodium rather than water to cool the reactor. The benefit is that sodium can operate at much higher temperatures without high pressure, reducing the risk of explosions or pressure failures."

"President Donald Trump ordered the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to be less risk-averse, which has led to several small nuclear reactors breaking ground across the country. Alongside TerraPower's Wyoming plant, Kairos Power is developing a demonstration system in Tennessee, and Natura Resources is building another demonstration unit in Texas, expected to be completed this year."

TerraPower, co-founded by Bill Gates, secured the first US government nuclear construction grant in almost a decade. The company is developing next-generation reactors approximately one-third the size of conventional plants, utilizing liquid sodium cooling instead of water. This design operates at higher temperatures without high pressure, reducing explosion and failure risks while enabling simpler containment systems and more efficient operations. The Wyoming facility is expected to be operational by 2031, significantly faster than traditional Western nuclear plants. The shift reflects changing government policy toward nuclear energy, with the current administration encouraging nuclear development. Multiple advanced reactor projects are now underway across the US, including demonstrations in Tennessee and Texas, while other nations like the UK are similarly pursuing small nuclear reactor trials.

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