Direct Community Economic Benefits from TerraPower’s Kemmerer Unit 1 Natrium Facility: A Research and Practice Brief for Engaging Communities in Advanced Nuclear Energy Facility Siting
Duba, Alyssa W. Stubblefield, Nicholas Lewis, Nora Budowle, Rachael
Duba, Alyssa W.
Stubblefield, Nicholas
Lewis, Nora
Budowle, Rachael
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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 via 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 research 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. Within this research, community members frequently asked not just what kind of and how many benefits may confer to the local community from the Natrium project, but where they come from, how they are shared, and when they will occur. We investigated those questions and worked to provide clear, evidence-based answers to share back with the community. This brief shares what we learned about direct economic benefits to local communities from the TerraPower Natrium facility.
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Date
2026-01-07
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University of Wyoming Libraries
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Keywords
Advanced Nuclear Energy,Community Engagement,Nuclear Facility Siting,Industrial Siting Council,Economic Benefits
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International