Understanding Nuclear Power in Wyoming - Trying to get inside Bill Gates’ mind

by Wyoming Liberty Group

TerraPower, the nuclear company founded by Bill Gates, recently announced that it had awarded a contract to a firm to design, test and do other stuff for something called a "sodium-air heat exchanger" and "air stack structures and equipment for the Natrium Reactor Demonstration Project currently under construction in Kemmerer, Wyoming."

Whew.

Did you get all that?

One thing that was kind of clear is that all of this has to do with what Gates himself said recently: "Kemmerer will soon be home to the most advanced nuclear facility in the world."

In fact, to really get an idea of what's going on with Gates and his nuclear project in Kemmerer is to try to get into the mind of the billionaire genius cofounder of Microsoft. And the way to get a glimpse into his brain is perhaps to read Gates' own blog on the matter.

He's using his own byline— "By Bill Gates." So, let's take him at his word.

And his word is that this plant "will bring safe, next-generation nuclear technology to life right here in Wyoming. It's a huge milestone for the local economy, America's energy independence, and the fight against climate change."

Gates touts what Washington-based TerraPower, which he started in 2008, will do for coal plant workers who will now find new employment. He highlights what he said the project will do for "the local construction workers who will be part of a 1,600-person skilled labor force building the plant..." And Gates notes how local businesses will be able to "take care of the new workforce."

Gates also sings the praise of nuclear scientists involved, writing that "the amazing team at TerraPower has proven we can do nuclear better. They are leading the country—and the world—in developing safe, next-generation nuclear technology."

All sounds good, right?

But it's not all so simple. Gates acknowledges that "Construction will continue over the years ahead before the plant hopefully comes online in 2030." A lot can happen between now and then.

Gates also gives credit to "the Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, which is supporting the project with the largest single contribution the federal government has ever committed to a private project."

Sounds cool, except let's unpack that for a second. The nuclear plant has a price tag of $4 billion, half of which will be covered by the U.S. Department of Energy. For those keeping track, isn't that us, the taxpayers?

Then, there's this: The timeline to bring this huge nuclear project to fruition is quite complicated. As Gates notes, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted TerraPower's construction permit application for review. But that review will, by his own admission, take a couple of years. And it's only after it's approved that construction on the actual nuclear reactor can begin.

See observation above: A lot can happen in a couple of years.

So, what does Gates and company do while they wait for that agency's approval? Well, as it turns out, there's a lot to do. "[I]n the meantime, TerraPower will continue to build the non-nuclear parts of the facility," Gates writes in his blog. "Construction will begin next year on the so-called 'energy island,' which is where the steam turbines and other machinery that actually generate power will sit."

Gates goes on to say that the reactor will "eventually be part of a 'nuclear island,' and the team hopes to start building that in 2026."

Hopes. Projections. A lot of things, it seems, needs to go right for this project to go right.

But Gates is a firm believer in nuclear energy. He sees it as a critical piece of our future.

"Everything we do runs on electricity: buildings, technology, and increasingly transportation," he says. "To meet our economic and climate goals, we need more abundant clean energy, not less. The ground we broke in Kemmerer will soon be the bedrock of America's energy future."

The way he sees it, his nuclear plant will offer a new source of power for the rapidly expanding demand for electricity everywhere. And he wants to manage this without emitting carbon dioxide.

Gates' nuclear plant plans to be smaller than other power plants and to cool its reactor with liquid sodium instead of water. What's more, his plant expects to generate 345 megawatts of power, good enough to light up about 250,000 homes.

But, just following Gates' timeline and what has to happen, including government approvals, there's a long road ahead. He's banking on a lot to go right to bring his vision for nuclear power into reality. So, let's temper our expectations and make sure we understand what is happening with the project as it unfolds. Hopefully, we will hear more from Gates, if only from his blog, if not in person.