A new chapter in the history of nuclear power in Central Washington is being written.
Energy Northwest in January announced plans to expand its footprint in the region, proposing 12 small modular reactors capable of generating up to 960 megawatts, according to a company release.
The reactors are planned to be installed just north of Richland and adjacent to the Columbia Generating Station, the sole nuclear power plant in the Pacific Northwest which at 100% power produces 1,207 megawatts. Energy Northwest operates the plant, which generates about 10% of Washington’s annual power supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
On Friday, local officials, tribes and other stakeholders toured the area.
Those behind the project say it is separate from the legacy of the Hanford site just northwest, which was key to the development of the two atomic bombs detonated on Japan during World War II.
Since the end of the Hanford project, the federal government has paid out millions to residents of the area who were exposed to excessive levels of radiation.
“There is a long and complex history of the Hanford site that is ongoing in our region and our community,” said Sean O’Brien, executive director of the Energy Forward Alliance and a leader for the reactor project. “That’s why communication and education is so key. These are clean and safe reactors and in no way related to Hanford.”
In a typical setup, reactors house nuclear reactions that generate heat. A nuclear power plant turns that heat into steam that drives turbine generators to create electricity.
Compared to traditional versions, small reactors are less expensive to build, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. They can be transported by a semitruck and assembled in multiple configurations.
Energy Northwest agreed to a partnership with X-Energy Reactor Co., a Rockville, Maryland-based firm that manufactures those small reactors.
Despite newer, smaller reactors, there is still some hesitancy to the idea.
While state lawmakers approved $25 million for the project in March, the Washington state Democratic Party in June considered a pair of resolutions during its convention that would have discouraged the use of clean energy funding for constructing nuclear reactors. The party’s delegates voted narrowly against adopting those resolutions.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration officials announced this spring plans to “bolster domestic nuclear industry,” and the White House backed a multicountry declaration to triple nuclear energy capacity globally by 2050.
O’Brien said the efforts by the Biden administration were “bold.”
“The Biden Administration is sticking its neck out by leading the conversation with two dozen other countries,” he said. “It puts our community at the front lines not only in the state or nationally, but internationally.”
Theresa Richardson, Richland’s mayor, is fully on board.
“We are proud to be the home of Energy Northwest,” she said in a statement. “We are committed to a future powered by clean nuclear energy.”