Bill Gates Backs A Bold New Nuclear Project In Utah

Over the past several months, it seems like everybody has been freaking out about the potential increase in the cost of electricity. Also, over the last several months, we've seen several companies investing in old, shut down nuclear power plants to re-certify and operate in order to supply electricity to major companies like Microsoft and Amazon Cloud. 

Now we have a new player,  

A name that you will certainly recognize from Washington State. 

The company is backed by Bill Gates and called Terra Power LLC. They have already raised about $650 million so they can start construction on a nuclear power plant in Utah. This is not just any old nuclear power plant; this is what's called a liquid sodium reactor. This new generation reactor uses liquid sodium for cooling and molten salt for energy storage. 

The heat from the molten salt would probably be used to run steam turbines and generate electricity. Bloomberg claims that the facility will be in operation by 2026. (I'm not so sure about that) 

According to msn.com,
‘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.’ 

If you look at Terra Power's website. TerraPower Natrium | Advanced Nuclear Energy You will see their vision for the future of nuclear power. Keep in mind that we're still talking about nuclear fission, not fusion. As a side note, the Helion nuclear plant that's going to be developed in Malaga, Washington, is a fusion plant. 

The number of companies getting involved in nuclear energy seems to be increasing from companies developing “pocket nukes” that can be packaged inside a cargo container, to other companies basically renovating and refueling old reactor sites, including Three Mile Island. 

Personally, I'm in favor of this whole process.  

My only problem is that I don't like the idea of a nuclear reactor being constructed by the lowest bidder.

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TerraPower Natrium | Advanced Nuclear Energy