December 4, 2025
Nukes with turbo? Internet combusts
NRC Completes Safety Review of TerraPower Natrium [pdf]
Safety check clears TerraPower’s “turbo” nuke; comments split on store-first grid
TLDR: The NRC finished its safety review for TerraPower’s Wyoming reactor, which can boost output using built-in energy storage; the Commission will soon decide on a construction permit. Commenters argue over a “generate, store, consume” future, while skeptics joke about sodium coolant and costs, making this a high-stakes grid debate.
America’s nuclear referee, the NRC, just wrapped its final safety check on TerraPower’s Natrium reactor planned for Kemmerer, Wyoming — and did it ahead of schedule. The plant is designed to run steady, then use an energy storage add‑on to “turbo boost” up to 500 megawatts. The Commission still has to vote, but the internet didn’t wait. One top comment declared the old grid “version one” has failed and the future is generate → store → consume, even if it wastes some energy.
That set off classic forum fireworks. Pro‑nuke fans cheered, calling it “a nuke with a battery pack” and praising the NRC’s 18‑month fast‑track goal. Skeptics side‑eyed the sodium‑cooled design (yes, sodium and water hate each other), cracking memes about “spicy soup reactors” and asking who pays when timelines slip. Grid nerds argued storage smooths demand and makes nukes flexible; renewables‑only purists shot back that batteries should pair with wind and solar first. Meanwhile, locals chimed in that replacing a coal town’s jobs matters as much as megawatts. The drama: Is this the first true “version two” power plant, or just expensive cosplay? Either way, the NRC says no safety deal‑breakers so far, and everyone has takes. Popcorn for the vote.
More: NRC | TerraPower Natrium
Key Points
- •NRC staff completed the final safety evaluation of TerraPower’s construction permit application for Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1.
- •The evaluation found no safety aspects that would preclude issuing the construction permit.
- •The plant is a 345 MWe sodium-cooled advanced reactor with energy storage to temporarily boost output to 500 MWe.
- •NRC aims to make licensing decisions for new advanced reactors within 18 months and finished this review a month ahead of schedule.
- •Next steps are Commission consideration of the safety evaluation and final environmental impact statement, followed by a vote on whether to issue the permit; an operating license would be required for operation.