TerraPower Wyoming Nuclear Reactor Permit
Analysis based on 7 articles · First reported Mar 04, 2026 · Last updated Mar 05, 2026
The approval of TerraPower's nuclear reactor construction permit by the United States — Nuclear Regulatory Commission signals a significant advancement in nuclear power generation, potentially boosting the energy sector and supporting the growing electricity demands of artificial intelligence data centers. This development could positively impact companies involved in nuclear technology and energy infrastructure, while also highlighting ongoing challenges in nuclear waste management for the United States.
The United States — Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued its first construction permit for a commercial nuclear reactor in eight years to TerraPower, a company backed by Bill Gates. This permit allows TerraPower to build a sodium-cooled reactor in western United States — Wyoming, with construction expected to begin within weeks and completion targeted for 2030. The $4 billion plant aims to generate up to 500 megawatts of electricity, enough for 400,000 homes, and will be built on the site of a former coal-fired power plant. Bill Gates, a primary investor in TerraPower, sees nuclear power as crucial for the electricity-intensive data centers supporting artificial intelligence. The TerraPower reactor is a non-light-water design, the first such approval in over 40 years, and will use molten sodium as a coolant. The plant will require highly enriched uranium, which TerraPower is seeking to source domestically and from South Africa, moving away from Russia. The United States — United States Department of Energy is also taking steps to address nuclear waste management, a long-standing issue in the country.
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