The Business Download reported that Utah is getting help with its energy supply needs from a Washington-based energy company supported by Bill Gates.
To date, TerraPower LLC has raised $650 million to construct an advanced reactor in Wyoming that relies on liquid sodium instead of water, along with a molten salt energy storage system. Federal approval still awaits, but it is expected in 2026, according to Bloomberg.
In the meantime, the Gates-backed company is getting to work in Utah as it explores potential reactor sites.
"I don't think most people comprehend the amount of power that's going to be needed right now," Governor Spencer Cox told Bloomberg TV in August 2025.
As the country advances in electrification and AI, nuclear power can provide a reliable energy source despite its controversial reputation.
Past disasters, including those at Three Mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986, and most recently, Fukushima in 2011, haven't helped public perception. Plus, there's the association with destructive nuclear weapons, as images from Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still a living memory for some.
Find the best HVAC solution to heat and cool your home more efficiently Mitsubishi Electric’s efficient heating and cooling HVAC solutions can help you stay comfortable no matter the weather or region. You can even regulate temperatures in each room with individually controlled all-electric heat pump systems. With an energy-efficient, all-climate system from Mitsubishi, you can reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool your home, receive up to $2,000 in tax credits, and get peace of mind knowing you’re choosing rigorously tested, high-quality products. |
Luckily, some stakeholders took note to improve safety regulations and reactor design technology. Per the World Economic Forum, nuclear fusion and small modular reactors have promising potential with several designs in development.
According to TerraPower's website, its "design capitalizes on natural forces, such as gravity and thermal convection, enabling passive cooling and significantly reducing safety-related costs compared to conventional reactors."
Plus, there's understandable concern over how companies handle radioactive waste. However, on a positive note, per the World Nuclear Association, the typically dense radioactive waste is far less in volume than what other industries produce.
However, such power provides 24/7 large-scale low-carbon energy that works independently of weather conditions, unlike solar or wind turbines. Its energy is dense, as one uranium fuel pellet releases as much fuel as a ton of coal, per the Nuclear Energy Institute. As such, the grid has a better chance of stability with such consistent energy.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
|
How would you feel about a nuclear power plant being built near your home? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
I'd be excited 😀 Due to the lack of carbon pollution during production, this energy can help fight critical climate issues such as atmospheric overheating that's causing increasingly worse heat events like droughts and wildfires.
Thanks to nuclear plants' small land use, natural vegetation can remain intact. Therefore, habitats for pollinators and other creatures, oxygen production, and carbon absorption can all function as needed to support the biodiversity essential to a cooler and cleaner planet.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
