Federal Regulators Accelerate Review Timeline for Natrium Nuclear Project in Wyoming
The timeline for Wyoming’s first commercial nuclear power plant may be shortened, as federal regulators announced plans to expedite their environmental and safety review of TerraPower’s proposed Natrium nuclear facility near Kemmerer, Cap City News reports.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) informed TerraPower this week that it will trim seven months from its review process, aiming to complete the final environmental impact statement by December 31, 2025. The change follows ongoing collaboration between the agency and the developer and comes in response to a directive from President Donald Trump issued in May, instructing the NRC to accelerate its permitting procedures for advanced reactors.
TerraPower, a Washington-based company founded by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, is developing the Natrium reactor as part of a $4 billion initiative, which includes $2 billion in federal funding from the Department of Energy. If completed, it will be the first utility-scale “advanced reactor” of its kind in the US and is slated to become operational by 2030.
“This acknowledgment by the NRC that our application can be completed more quickly is a testament to the incredible work by our Natrium team and the support at the federal level,” said TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque.
He credited Trump’s earlier support of advanced nuclear innovation for helping launch the regulatory framework that enabled the project.
The Natrium reactor is designed to produce 345 megawatts of electricity — enough to power approximately 250,000 homes — with the ability to surge to 500 megawatts temporarily. It features liquid sodium cooling and uses high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel, which TerraPower says increases efficiency and reduces the need for water-based cooling.
TerraPower chose the Kemmerer site in 2021 after evaluating several locations across Wyoming. The plant will utilize existing infrastructure at the Naughton power station, a coal- and gas-fired facility operated by PacifiCorp/Rocky Mountain Power.
While the accelerated review has been welcomed by project supporters, it has also drawn criticism from some environmental advocates. John Burrows, Energy and Climate Policy Director at the Wyoming Outdoor Council, expressed concerns over the potential for a rushed process that might compromise safety.
“Expediting the review process is not something that inspires confidence when the stakes are very high for this first-of-its-kind project,” Burrows said. “The perception that the NRC is prioritizing speed over safety does not bode well for the future of nuclear technology in Wyoming.”
Despite the faster schedule, the NRC emphasized that it would still consider all substantive public feedback and that unresolved issues could arise.
“The accelerated timeline depends on a continued commitment from [the developer] to resolve these issues and provide necessary information in a timely manner,” the agency noted.
Construction on non-nuclear portions of the plant began last year after receiving state approval from the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council. The NRC released its draft environmental impact statement for the nuclear portion in June, one month earlier than initially planned.
