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Cultural History Analysis: A Research and Practice Brief for Engaging Communities in Advanced Nuclear Energy Facility Siting
Budowle, Rachael Duba, Alyssa W. Stubblefield, Nicholas Djokić, Denia
Budowle, Rachael
Duba, Alyssa W.
Stubblefield, Nicholas
Djokić, Denia
Abstract
In November 2021, the private company TerraPower, in partnership with electric utility PacifiCorp and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) via its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), announced plans to site its Natrium advanced nuclear reactor near the retiring Naughton coal-fired power plant in Kemmerer, located in southwest Wyoming. This project marks the first commercial advanced nuclear energy facility to begin construction in the United States. This research and practice brief summarizes the Cultural History Analysis of the energy and nuclear fuel cycle in Kemmerer, WY and the region. A cultural history provides an account of a specific community’s cultural expressions over time (e.g., language, material artifacts, ceremonies and rituals, artistic expressions, politics, economics, and media), supporting a better understanding of historical events and change within and around that community. We adapted and applied three key cultural history functions to our context: (1) reveal hidden or ignored aspects of the past; (2) understand the present, and (3) point toward new ways of thinking and acting in the future. Both our case-specific findings and the process that we developed can inform recommendations for communities, decision makers, policymakers, and developers engaged in and affected by future advanced nuclear energy siting activities.
Description
Date
2025-07-17
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University of Wyoming Libraries
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Keywords
Engaging Communities in Nuclear Siting,advanced nuclear energy,community engagement,natrium reactor,cultural history