TerraPower Begins Construction on First Utility-Scale Advanced Nuclear Plant in U.S.

New updates have been reported about TerraPower.

TerraPower has started full construction of its flagship Natrium plant, Kemmerer Unit 1 in Wyoming, following receipt of a construction permit from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, positioning the project to become the first utility-scale advanced nuclear power plant in the United States. CEO Chris Levesque said the facility is intended to serve as the commercial template for deploying a fleet of Natrium reactors domestically and internationally, marking a pivotal step in the company’s growth strategy.

Backed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, TerraPower is mobilizing roughly 1,600 construction workers and expects about 250 permanent jobs once operations begin at Wyoming’s first commercial nuclear generating station. Kemmerer Unit 1 will feature a 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor coupled with a molten salt-based energy storage system capable of ramping output to 500 MW—enough to power about 400,000 homes—offering dispatchable, baseload power with a uniquely integrated storage design that supports grid flexibility.

Federal and state leaders, including Wyoming’s governor and congressional delegation, are framing the project as central to U.S. energy security, job creation, and leveraging Wyoming’s uranium production base. TerraPower’s execution is supported by Bechtel as EPC contractor, which plans to apply digital project delivery tools to scale Natrium deployment, and by Rocky Mountain Power, which views advanced nuclear as a key baseload component in a diversified resource mix.

The Kemmerer project has been under active development since ground was broken on non-nuclear facilities in June 2024, and it now transitions from preparation to full-scale plant build-out. As TerraPower rapidly commercializes Natrium technology—underscored by an existing agreement with Meta for up to eight Natrium plants by 2035—the Kemmerer unit becomes a critical proof point for advanced nuclear economics, regulatory execution, and the company’s ability to deliver at scale.

For executives and investors tracking the private nuclear sector, TerraPower’s move from permitting to construction materially reduces technology and project risk, while validating the public-private financing model underpinning advanced reactors. Successful completion and operation of Kemmerer Unit 1 would strengthen TerraPower’s competitive position in dispatchable clean energy, support future capital formation, and potentially accelerate global adoption of its Natrium platform as grids seek firm, low-carbon capacity.