• With the NRC permit now issued, Levesque said major earth‑moving will start in days

TerraPower’s long-awaited Natrium nuclear project moved decisively into its construction phase this week after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted the company’s construction permit roughly nine months ahead of schedule.

Chris Levesque, President and CEO of Terra Power, shared the site’s progress and what the permit means for the facility and the local workforce. Levesque described the agency’s review as rigorous and thorough.

“The application was, I think, 14,000 pages. So really detailed and rigorous,” Levesque explained. “They employ a lot of top nuclear engineers who review our application and environmental impact to ensure the people of Wyoming are protected. We were pleased with the timeliness and quality of the review.”

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Levesque confirmed that the permit clears the way to begin major earthwork for the Natrium plant this spring. There has been visible activity along the highway: earlier work included construction of a non-nuclear “test and fill” facility and other state-permitted structures that required no federal approval. According to Levesque, those early projects gave TerraPower more than a year of on-site experience dealing with Wyoming weather and excavation challenges, an experience the company says will smooth the transition into full-scale nuclear construction.

“This is a mega project,” Levesque said. “Engineering, procurement, and construction are all happening in parallel. The licensing milestone lets us place orders for key components and fuel and keeps us on schedule to produce electricity by the end of 2031.”

If the timeline holds, TerraPower’s unit will be among the first new commercial reactors built in the United States in decades. Levesque said the company is positioning the Natrium design, a sodium-cooled fast reactor paired with a molten-salt energy storage system, as a leading example of next-generation nuclear technology.

Levesque thanked residents of Lincoln County for years of cooperation and said TerraPower has worked closely with state regulators and local officials throughout the permitting process. The company also plans an on-site training center that will function as both an operator certification facility and a public visitor center for school groups and community tours.

“That building will house our training simulator and will be used to certify operators,” he said. “We already have a growing contingent of Terra Power employees moving to Kemmerer and local hires from the region.”

Levesque credited local media, including Swift 98, for helping the public understand the NRC review process and for hosting town halls where residents could ask questions. He said the company values transparency as construction ramps up and the project moves toward procurement and major equipment delivery.

TerraPower first broke ground on non-nuclear support facilities nearly two years ago. With the NRC permit in hand, Levesque said serious earth-moving will begin in the coming days, and the firm will continue coordinating with local officials and regulators as construction progresses.

Local officials and community leaders have previously cited economic benefits for the region, including construction jobs, permanent operations roles, and related business activity. Terra Power has emphasized workforce development and educational outreach as part of its local commitments.

Levesque stated, “We appreciate our partnership with the people of Lincoln County. It’s been five years of teamwork.”