TerraPower LLC, the design startup backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, has chosen to build a demonstration of its 345-MW Natrium advanced nuclear reactor in Kemmerer, Wyo., near the Naughton two-unit, coal-fired plant that is set to close in 2025, the firm said Nov. 17, citing an estimated $4-billion project cost.
The firm and its partners had previously narrowed the project location to four set-to-retire coal plant sites in the state for what it said earlier this year would be a $1-billion demonstration project. Sites in Gillette, Glenrock and Rock Springs also were considered.