<2> A Nuclear Reactor Backed By Bill Gates Gets Federal Approval To Start Building
<3> TerraPower, a start-up founded by Bill Gates, has received a key federal permit to begin construction on a novel type of nuclear power plant in Wyoming. This marks the first new U.S. commercial reactor in nearly a decade to receive clearance to start building.
<4> The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the federal body that oversees reactor safety, unanimously voted to grant a construction permit to TerraPower. This permit allows the company to begin pouring concrete and building the nuclear components of its proposed nuclear plant in Kemmerer, Wyo.
<5> The plant, which still faces plenty of logistical hurdles, is currently expected to come online in 2031 near an old coal-burning power plant that is slated to retire a few years later. With its construction permit in hand, the company says it plans to start work on the Wyoming reactor in the coming weeks.
<6> TerraPower has already had to push back its start date several times, and it will still face hurdles in trying to avoid the snags and cost overruns that have plagued other reactor projects as well as securing the fuel it needs. Before coming online, the reactor will also need to secure a separate