SMRTR Science & EngineeringMar 4, 2026Scientific American

Bill Gates-backed nuclear startup TerraPower just got cleared to start building its first power plant

SMRTR summary

TerraPower, Bill Gates's nuclear startup, received federal approval to build the first new commercial nuclear reactor in the U.S. in nearly a decade. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission unanimously approved construction of the Natrium plant in Wyoming, which uses liquid sodium instead of water and includes battery storage for flexible electricity production. The advanced reactor design promises to be cheaper and easier to build than recent nuclear projects that cost $35 billion and ran over budget, with the plant expected online by 2031.

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