A Bill Gatesbacked nuclear power plant just got cleared to start building

"TerraPower, a Bill Gates-backed nuclear power start-up, received the federal green light to start building a power plant in Wyoming. The approval paves the way for the first new commercial nuclear reactor in the U.S. in nearly a decade. On Wednesday the Nuclear Regulatory Commission unanimously voted in favor of TerraPower's construction permit."

"TerraPower claims that its reactor design will be easier and cheaper to build and bring online than older nuclear power plants—the last two reactors built in the U.S. in recent memory cost $35 billion and ran way overbudget and past schedule."

"A key difference between TerraPower's reactor design and older plants is that older reactors pump water through protective shields and heavy, thick pipes into the reactor core, where it is heated through nuclear fission. TerraPower's design uses liquid sodium, which doesn't [require such infrastructure]."

TerraPower, a nuclear start-up founded by Bill Gates, obtained unanimous approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to construct the Natrium plant in Wyoming. This represents the first new commercial nuclear reactor approved in the United States in approximately ten years. The company aims to develop smaller, more advanced nuclear reactors designed to support the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. The Natrium reactor is expected to become operational by 2031 at the earliest. TerraPower's reactor design promises to be more cost-effective and faster to build than previous nuclear plants, which faced significant budget overruns and delays. The reactor uses liquid sodium instead of water-based cooling systems, distinguishing it from conventional nuclear power plants.

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