CASPER, Wyo. — When Governor Mark Gordon announced this June that Wyoming has been selected for the construction of a new “advanced” nuclear reactor, he said it would be “game-changing and monumental” for Wyoming.
The system that would be built at one of four sites in Wyoming is called the “Natrium” reactor. It was co-developed by TerraPower, founded by Bill Gates and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded TerraPower $80 million in initial funding to demonstrate the Natrium technology, technology TerraPower claims can offer “improved reactor economics, greater fuel efficiency, enhanced safety and lower volumes of waste.”