Virginia utility explores tiny nuclear reactors as a means of obtaining carbon-free power

Virginia – The biggest utility in Virginia announced on Wednesday that it will investigate the idea of utilizing tiny nuclear reactors to assist in fulfilling the state’s increasing demand for power while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

A more appealing alternative for states moving away from coal, oil, and other fossil fuels is nuclear power. Smaller reactors are expected to be cheaper and easier to commission sooner rather than later, according to their proponents.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an independent body that regulates the use of radioactive material for civilian purposes, states that there are no small modular reactors, or SMRs, in use in the United States.

Last year, a project to construct the first SMR in Idaho was abandoned because to rising costs and a dearth of users. However, while Bill Gates and his energy business intend to construct a commercial SMR plant in Wyoming, a pilot project is now under progress in Tennessee.

Dominion Energy Virginia announced on Wednesday that it has requested that SMR businesses assess the viability of constructing a project at the location of its current nuclear power station, North Anna, outside of Richmond.

Speaking in front of the company’s cooling towers, Robert Blue, CEO of Dominion, stated that 90% of Virginia’s carbon-free electricity currently comes from nuclear power. The corporation is able to investigate the usage of SMRs thanks to a recent state regulation; typical residential customers’ monthly bills will be limited to $1.40.

According to Blue, the financial impact will be significantly less. Approximately 2.7 million people in Virginia are served by Dominion. It is building a gigantic windfarm off the coast of Virginia Beach, and it has been building solar farms.

By 2050, all of Virginia’s electricity must originate from carbon-free sources, according to a 2020 state legislation. Gov. Glenn Youngkin stressed the importance of embracing new technology for electricity generation during his remarks at the news conference on Wednesday.

“We can’t build enough wind,” Youngkin said. “We can’t build enough solar in order to power the Virginia of the future. We need all of the above.”
About two-thirds of respondents to an Associated Press survey conducted in 2022 on energy policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia believe nuclear power will eventually partially replace fossil fuels.

Opponents, however, primarily from Democratic-led states, point to safety issues and the higher expense of building new reactors in comparison to setting up solar or wind power plants. The issue of dangerous nuclear waste storage also needs to be addressed.

For similar reasons, some environmentalists are against compact modular reactors. Additionally, SMRs will produce more waste than traditional reactors, according to a 2022 Stanford-led study.
Nevertheless, despite the cancellation of one project already, there seems to be increasing interest in SMRs.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved NuScale Power, an Oregon-based company, in January 2023 for its initial design. The business demonstrated a six-reactor facility at the Idaho National Laboratory, producing enough electricity to power over 300,000 households, in collaboration with a group of Utah utilities.

However, November saw the project’s termination. In just two years, costs have risen by more than 50% to $89 per megawatt-hour. Furthermore, it seemed doubtful that enough neighborhood power companies would sign on to support the project.

A commission spokesman, Scott Burnell, stated on Wednesday that the NuScale Power design is still certified and open for business consideration. The commission is currently reviewing other designs for different sites.

For instance, according to Burnell, Kairos Power, which is constructing a test version of an SMR near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has been given construction permission by the NRC. On the same website, it also submitted an application for a larger test version.

According to Burnell, another application is being considered from TerraPower, a business that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates chairs. An SMR would be used in that project to power a commercial facility near Kemmerer, Wyoming.

“We have several other reactor designers who are talking to us about potentially applying, either for other construction permits or to have their designs generically approved,” Burnell said. “So there are a lot of other names (of companies) that are in discussions with us. But no formal applications at this point.”