TerraPower becomes first company to receive federal approval for commercial-scale advanced nuclear reactor
First commercial reactor to be built in the US in almost a decade
Construction completion expected by 2030 with work already underway since June 2024
Natrium design features liquid sodium cooling and molten salt energy storage system
📖 Full Retelling
TerraPower, the nuclear energy startup founded by Bill Gates, has secured approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to construct a next-generation reactor in Wyoming, marking the first commercial-scale advanced nuclear power plant to receive federal approval and the first commercial reactor built in the US in nearly a decade, with construction completion targeted for 2030. The groundbreaking project represents a significant milestone in the advancement of nuclear technology and comes as the company has already begun non-plant related construction at the Wyoming facility since June 2024. TerraPower's Natrium reactor design distinguishes itself from conventional water-cooled nuclear plants by utilizing liquid sodium to reduce shielding costs and operate at lower pressures while featuring a unique molten salt-based energy storage system capable of boosting power output to 500 megawatts during demand spikes. This innovative approach positions TerraPower at the forefront of several companies racing to develop smaller, more efficient reactors to support electrical grids increasingly strained by the energy demands of AI data centers and other technological advancements.
🏷️ Themes
Nuclear Energy Innovation, Climate Solutions, Technology Infrastructure
American businessman and philanthropist (born 1955)
William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American businessman and philanthropist. A pioneer of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, he co-founded the software company Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Gates became the world's then-youngest billiona...
Wyoming ( wy-OH-ming) is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the south. With an estimated population of 587,618...
A nuclear reactor is a device used to sustain a controlled fission nuclear chain reaction. They are used for commercial electricity, marine propulsion, weapons production and research. Fissile nuclei (primarily uranium-235 or plutonium-239) absorb single neutrons and split, releasing energy and mult...
TerraPower, LLC is an American nuclear reactor design and development engineering company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.
TerraPower is developing a class of nuclear fast reactors termed traveling wave reactors (TWR).
Science Business News Bill Gates’ nuclear company is the first to get approval to build next-gen reactor Construction on the advanced Wyoming nuclear power plant is set to finish by 2030. Construction on the advanced Wyoming nuclear power plant is set to finish by 2030. by Jess Weatherbed Mar 5, 2026, 10:16 AM UTC Non-plant related construction broke ground at the Wyoming facility in June 2024. Image: TerraPower Jess Weatherbed is a news writer focused on creative industries, computing, and internet culture. Jess started her career at TechRadar, covering news and hardware reviews. Bill Gates-founded nuclear energy startup TerraPower has been granted approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build a next-generation reactor in Wyoming. This is the first commercial-scale, advanced nuclear power plant to ever receive the federal permit, according to the press release , and will be the first commercial reactor constructed in the US in almost a decade. Construction at the Wyoming plant is expected to be completed by 2030. TerraPower is one of several companies racing to build smaller, more efficient reactors to augment electrical grids under strain from AI data centers. In a 2024 interview with The Verge , Bill Gates said that he also believes nuclear energy can help solve the climate crisis by using designs that minimize the problem “in terms of their safety or fuel use or how they handle waste.” Unlike conventional water-cooled nuclear plants, the 345 megawatt “Natrium” design used by TerraPower utilizes liquid sodium to reduce shielding costs and operate at lower pressures. TerraPower’s plant also features a unique “molten salt-based energy storage system” that allows it to easily boost power output to 500 megawatts when demand spikes. Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Jess Weatherbed Business Energy News Science Most Popular Most Popular Our first hands-on look at A...
