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LCG, August 25, 2025--The Utah Office of Energy Development (OED), TerraPower and Flagship Companies announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the potential siting of a Natrium® nuclear reactor and energy storage plant in Utah. The MOU establishes a shared commitment to support advanced nuclear technologies to build Utah’s energy future and to prioritize reliability, economic growth and energy abundance.
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LCG, August 25, 2025--We are pleased to share that the paper “Economic Impacts of Price-Sensitive Loads in Electricity Reliability Council of Texas: Quantifying Effects of Large Flexible Loads” has been published on IEEE Xplore.
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Industry News
TerraPower, Utah's Office of Energy Development, and Flagship Companies Sign MOU to Identify Sites for Advanced Nuclear Reactors
LCG, August 25, 2025--The Utah Office of Energy Development (OED), TerraPower and Flagship Companies announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the potential siting of a Natrium® nuclear reactor and energy storage plant in Utah. The MOU establishes a shared commitment to support advanced nuclear technologies to build Utah’s energy future and to prioritize reliability, economic growth and energy abundance.
The MOU provides a non-binding framework for cooperation among the parties and supports the Governor's Operation Gigawatt, a strategic effort to build an energy ecosystem that serves Utah and the Western United States. Under the agreement, OED, TerraPower and Flagship will jointly identify and assess sites for a potential advanced nuclear plant, with the goal of establishing preliminary site recommendations by year-end. Site selection will be based on an evaluation of a variety of factors, including community support, the physical characteristics of the site, the ability of the site to obtain a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and access to existing infrastructure.
TerraPower's Natrium technology features a 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system that is designed to increase the system’s output to 500 MW of power when needed. The plant is designed to keep the base output steady, plus the ability to rapidly ramp up when demand peaks or when the power from intermittent renewables drops and must be offset. TerraPower states that it is the only advanced reactor design with this innovative feature. The Natrium reactor is also designed to use significantly less water than the current light water reactor fleet and other SMR designs, which is a benefit in water-constrained regions. TerraPower broke ground in Wyoming on its first Natrium nuclear project in June 2024.
Utah's Governor stated, "Today marks an important step forward for energy in Utah. Operation Gigawatt is about adding capacity from diverse sources — nuclear, natural gas, geothermal and more — so families and businesses have power that is affordable, reliable and clean. This agreement with TerraPower will help keep rates low, strengthen our grid and ensure Utah’s future can be as strong as our past."
"TerraPower is excited to collaborate with Utah leaders and communities to explore how Natrium plants can help Utah achieve its economic and energy goals," said the President and CEO of TerraPower. "Our Natrium reactor and energy storage system is well-suited for the Mountain West, and will play a vital role in ensuring a reliable grid for future generations."
The Executive Director of the Utah Office of Energy Development said, "Utah has a proud history of energy innovation, and this agreement positions us to explore next-generation nuclear technology that can help meet our growing power needs while strengthening our energy independence. We look forward to working with our local communities, utilities, large energy users and other partners as we identify and evaluate potential sites."
Flagship Companies, a Utah-based land development firm, will provide access to relevant land data and assist in identifying and evaluating potential candidate sites for reactor development. A Partner at Flagship Companies commented, "We’re proud to be part of a forward-looking initiative that aligns land development with next-generation energy solutions. This MOU reflects a model for private-public collaboration in building the infrastructure of the future."
TerraPower's first Natrium nuclear project is being built near a retiring coal-fired power plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming. According to TerraPower, non-nuclear construction began on the Wyoming project in June 2024 and plans included construction spanning five years. TerraPower submitted its construction permit application to the NRC for the Wyoming Natrium reactor in early 2024. Through the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), a public private partnership, the Wyoming Natrium reactor demonstration project is intended to validate the design, construction and operational features of the Natrium technology.
Earlier this year, a strategic cooperation agreement was announced between the State of Utah, Holtec, and Hi Tech Solutions, a leading nuclear services provider, to collaborate in the deployment of Holtec's SMR-300s (small modular reactor) in Utah and the broader Mountain West region. Holtec's SMR-300 is a pressurized light-water nuclear reactor designed with a 300-MW capacity. The SMR-300 is one of seven advanced reactor designs supported by the DOE's ARDP and the only design based on proven light-water reactor technology. Hi Tech will play a leading role in the project development and workforce training to support the rise of new nuclear power generation in the region.
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