Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Public Utilities Commission of Texas have identified 61 potential sites for new nuclear reactors in the state.
In a recently released state report, advanced nuclear energy is expected to bring more than $50 billion in new economic output to Texas and generate $27 billion in income for Texas workers.
Gov. Abbott announced the state's new plan, saying the power plants will increase the “reliability” of the state's power grid and provide residents with “affordable and distributable power.”
“Texas is the energy capital of the world and is poised to be number one in advanced nuclear power,” the governor added.
The Nuclear Energy Association defines advanced reactors as nuclear reactors that are safer to construct and protect, smaller, and more efficient than previous generations of reactors. Underground and underwater housing can be used in modern nuclear reactors to increase their resistance to natural disasters.
The advanced nuclear power design is being used in the new and popular small modular nuclear reactors being built privately across the United States by Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle and others. States such as Virginia and Maryland are popular locations for SMRs and freestanding commercial campuses.
Texas already has two nuclear power plants generating more than 5 gigawatts of electricity, accounting for about 10% of the state's power grid.
The state report claimed the two plants have already shown “resiliency during extreme weather events.”
Of the 61 potential nuclear facilities identified, 21 are closed or closed coal facilities. The report says replacing coal mines, which are generally considered to have a negative impact on the environment, is just one piece of the puzzle to overcome tough environmental regulatory hurdles.
Energy officials propose appointing a nuclear permitting officer to facilitate “tailored assistance to companies seeking to build advanced reactor operations within the state” to obtain approval to build nuclear power plants. did.
Using estimates based on public funds awarded in other states, the report correctly found that building a new reactor could cost $700 million.
This includes $60 million to retain and attract supply chain companies and an additional $350 million to design and develop small nuclear reactors.
Approximately $100 million was awarded across Kentucky, North Carolina, and Wyoming for permitting and research, and South Carolina received $40 million to support nuclear workforce development.
These costs are similar to what other companies spend on small modular nuclear reactors across the country, which are typically used to power corporate campuses and data centers. This means that nuclear reactors intended to power the general public are likely to cost twice as much, especially given the degree of government oversight and appointments that the national report recommends. means.
For example, computer technology company Oracle announced In early September, it announced plans to build a 1-gigawatt data center campus with three small modular nuclear reactors.
Therefore, approximately 15 small modular reactors would be needed to match the 5 gigawatts of electricity (10% of the grid) produced by Texas' two existing power plants.
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