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Bill Gates-Backed TerraPower Wins US Approval For Advanced Nuclear Reactor
The 345-megawatt Natrium reactor is the first commercial advanced nuclear plant approved in a decade, expected to provide power for up to 400,000 homes, NRC said.
- On March 4, 2026, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission awarded TerraPower LLC a construction permit for Kemmerer Unit 1, marking the first advanced commercial reactor permit in eight years.
- Under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, the NRC trimmed seven months from environmental review last year, citing policy actions and the complete application from TerraPower.
- The Natrium reactor design pairs a 345-megawatt sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system that can boost output to 500 megawatts, powering up to 400,000 homes.
- Having begun non-nuclear site work in 2024, TerraPower now plans to start full construction in the coming weeks and targets commercial service in 2031, backed by $4 billion from the DOE, with an operating license application planned for 2027 or early 2028.
- Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and TerraPower investor, sits amid a growing advanced nuclear sector where TerraPower’s Natrium leads DOE’s ARDP, while other developers like Kairos Power LLC and Natura Resources LLC advance smaller systems.
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constructiondive.comNRC approves construction of advanced nuclear reactor in Wyoming
The construction permit to a subsidiary of Bill Gates’ TerraPower for a 345-MW commercial nuclear power plant project is the NRC’s first commercial reactor construction approval in nearly 10 years.
Bill Gates’ TerraPower Gets Nuclear Regulators’ Green Light
Current conditions: May-like warmth is sending temperatures across the Midwest and Northeast up to 25 degrees Fahrenheit above historical averages • Dangerous rip currents are yanking at Florida’s Atlantic coast • South Africa’s Northern Cape is bracing for what’s locally known as an orange-level 5 storm bringing intense flooding. THE TOP FIVE1. NRC gives Bill Gates’ nuclear startup the green light on constructionThe Nuclear Regulatory Commissio…
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Leaning Left23Leaning Right9Center53Last UpdatedBias Distribution62% Center
Bias Distribution
- 62% of the sources are Center
62% Center
L 27%
C 62%
11%
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