Bill Gates’ Groundbreaking Nuclear Reactor Gets Green Light In Wyoming

How often does a nuclear reactor design get approved for the first time in decades? On March 4, 2026, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted a construction permit for TerraPower‘s Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 in Wyoming. It’s the first NRC approval for a commercial reactor in nearly 10 years. The vote was unanimous.

TerraPower was founded by Bill Gates in 2015. The company designs its Natrium reactor alongside GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. It’s backed by Nvidia and Gates himself. CEO Chris Levesque said thousands of manpower hours went into reaching this milestone. The company has raised about $1.7 billion total to fund its reactor development and operations.

The Natrium reactor is a sodium-cooled fast reactor with molten salt-based energy storage. It’s the first non-light-water commercial reactor approved in over 40 years. The design produces less nuclear waste than conventional reactors. It uses highly enriched uranium, and TerraPower is seeking fuel from domestic and South African sources.

The plant will generate 345 megawatts of base power. With its patented storage system, output can peak at 500 megawatts. That’s enough energy for up to 400,000 homes. The reactor is two-thirds smaller than modern full-size reactors but larger than many small modular designs.

The plant will be built near a retiring coal plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, a town of about 2,500 people. It’s located 130 miles northeast of Salt Lake City. Site preparation and non-nuclear construction began in 2024. Full construction starts within weeks. Completion is targeted for 2030 or 2031. The plant could cost up to $4 billion.

TerraPower has also struck a deal with Meta to fund two Natrium units totaling 690 megawatts by 2032. Meta secured rights to energy from six more units, adding 2.1 gigawatts by 2035. Gates has called nuclear power a potentially gigantic contributor to data center energy needs. Unlike wind and solar, nuclear provides reliable zero-carbon energy without depending on weather conditions or requiring large-scale battery storage solutions.

The project isn’t without challenges. Critics point to fire risks from liquid sodium coolant and potential instabilities. Securing enough fuel remains a hurdle, and cost overruns are a concern. Still, the project has bipartisan support. Rising electricity demand from data centers and AI has renewed interest in nuclear energy as a climate-friendly power source. The DOE has also announced steps toward partnerships to modernize the fuel cycle, with states given until April 1 to express interest.