Washington, D.C. – Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) released the following statement today after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff completed the final safety evaluation for TerraPower’s construction permit application to build the Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The NRC staff concluded that there are no safety aspects that would preclude issuing the construction permit.
“This is good news for Wyoming and for America’s energy future,” said Lummis. “The NRC staff’s completion of this critical safety evaluation, a full month ahead of their already-accelerated schedule, demonstrates the strength of TerraPower’s application and the remarkable efficiency achieved through the Trump administration’s commitment to revitalizing nuclear energy and reforming NRC permitting processes. Wyoming is America’s energy leader, and the Kemmerer Power Station will cement our state’s role at the forefront of next-generation nuclear power, providing reliable baseload power and good paying jobs for Wyoming workers—all made possible because the Trump administration recognizes nuclear energy as essential to our nation’s energy independence.”
Background:
- The NRC staff will provide the safety evaluation and the final environmental impact statement to the Commission for the final phase of the licensing process in the coming weeks. The Commission will determine whether the staff’s review supports the findings necessary to issue the permit. Following its deliberations, the Commission will vote on whether to direct the staff to issue the permit.
- The Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 will be the first Natrium reactor facility built in the United States, representing a significant advancement in nuclear technology and energy production.
- The Kemmerer safety evaluation was completed a month ahead of the agency’s accelerated schedule, and nine-months ahead of the original project schedule.
- In May, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order that reformed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in order to “produce lasting American dominance in the global nuclear energy market, create tens of thousands of high-paying jobs, and generate American-led prosperity and resilience.”
- Read the report here.
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