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Public Participation and Stakeholder Engagement: A Research and Practice Brief for Engaging Communities in Advanced Nuclear Energy Facility Siting
Budowle, Rachael Stubblefield, Nicholas Lewis, Nora Duba, Alyssa W. Djokić, Denia Smutko, L. Steven
Budowle, Rachael
Stubblefield, Nicholas
Lewis, Nora
Duba, Alyssa W.
Djokić, Denia
Smutko, L. Steven
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Abstract
In November 2021, the private company TerraPower, in partnership with electric utility PacifiCorp and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) through its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, announced plans to site its Natrium advanced nuclear reactor near the retiring Naughton Power Plant in Kemmerer, located in southwest Wyoming. This marks the first commercial advanced nuclear energy facility to begin construction in the United States. Our DOE-funded research, "Engaging Wyoming Communities in an Environmental Justice Approach for Advanced Nuclear Energy Facility Siting," explores this case and aims to inform an adaptable community engagement process for advanced nuclear energy siting and development, as proposals to develop similar facilities are rapidly increasing. Public participation processes often receive critique for establishing only cursory informative or consultative opportunities for notice and comment rather than deeper opportunities for procedural justice. In July 2025 in Kemmerer, we hosted two public participation and stakeholder engagement meetings—titled Community Conversations on Natrium and Kemmerer’s Energy Future—designed to elicit and document community members’ questions and perspectives on the opportunities and challenges associated with the TerraPower Natrium facility, with an overall aim of community capacity-building. This research brief summarizes the key methods, findings, and recommended engagement protocol presented in the full Public Participation and Stakeholder Engagement Milestone Report, providing a concise overview for broader dissemination and practical application.
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Date
2026-03-26
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University of Wyoming Libraries
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Keywords
Advanced Nuclear Energy,Community Engagement,Nuclear Facility Siting,Affinity Process,Community-Based Facilitation
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International