GLASGOW, W.Va. (AP) — Bill Gates is seeking to West Virginia as he plans for the subsequent phase of his effort to reboot U.S. nuclear energy technology: powering the east coast.
Microsoft co-founder Gates, who visited a closed down coal-fired plant in Glasgow, West Virginia on Monday, said he must see how his Natrium nuclear reactor demonstration in Wyoming performs before making any announcements about recent sites. The Kemmerer, Wyoming sodium-cooled nuclear reactor is taking on the location of a current coal-powered plant and was scheduled to be online by 2028, but is facing delays because its only source of fuel was uranium from Russia, now at war with Ukraine.
Nevertheless, during a visit to the American Electric Power plant, which closed in 2015, Gates called the West Virginia’s Legislature’s decision last yr to repeal the state’s ban on nuclear power facilities “quite impressive” and said he’s on the lookout for sites to expand his efforts to the east coast.
West Virginia’s recent law has opened the door to discussions with American Electric Power in the course of the last six months, said Gates, who founded TerraPower, the corporate behind the $4 billion project in Wyoming.
“Really, I believe six months ago we actually weren’t on their radar much in any respect, nuclear wasn’t, however the Legislature did say, ‘Okay, we’re open-minded to nuclear’ and that was quite impressive,” he said of the American Electric Power plant, referred to as AEP.
Political Cartoons
The Wyoming coal-fired power plant that’s being converted for the sodium-cooled nuclear reactor is scheduled to shut in 2025, when Gates said its 200 employees will stay on and transition to working with nuclear energy. The demonstration project comes as many U.S. states see nuclear emerging as an choice to help transition energy production away from coal, oil and natural gas to cut back greenhouse gas emissions.
The Wyoming plant will feature a sodium reactor and molten salt energy storage system that may perform higher, more safely and value lower than a standard nuclear power, Gates said.
TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque said sites just like the Glasgow plant are “ready and capable” to support a plant like Natrium because the corporate can reap the benefits of existing infrastructure, just like the grid connection.
“You’ll be able to get a two-year jump on this one — that is able to go now,” Democratic Sen. Manchin joked, as he accompanied Gates on a tour of the plant in Glasgow.
The coal-fired plant, referred to as the Kanawha River Plant, is positioned along the Kanawha River in Glasgow, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast from Charleston. It went into operation in 1953 and was retired in May 2015 as a part of AEP’s plan to comply with the U.S. EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.
Gates said that because the Wyoming project matures, it should be more clear how efforts may be expanded to recent sites and can give utility corporations the time needed to have a look at their overall strategy and see how and if nuclear power suits in.
“We hope to say, three years from now, have a few utilities which have a fairly solid plan and that Natrium is part of their multi-decade generation strategy,” he said.
An Associated Press survey last yr of the energy policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia found that a robust majority— about two-thirds— say nuclear, in a single fashion or one other, will help take the place of fossil fuels. The momentum constructing behind nuclear power may lead to the primary expansion of nuclear reactor construction within the U.S. in greater than three a long time.
Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority bus driver Anthony Smith’s grandparents lived in Glasgow, and each his parents worked on the plant before it closed. He said the town of lower than 1,000 is in need of a lift.
“This town needs rejuvenating, truthfully. It was different back then, you understand?” he said. “I’d like to see things back how they was, that is probably what a whole lot of people feel anywhere they’re from that has an area that is struggling, they only wish to see it recuperate.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material will not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.