Coffey County commissioners heard an informational briefing from Kenny Patman (Online Development Director) about a possible Natrium small‑reactor project under discussion in Kansas by TerraPower and utility partner Evergy.

Patman summarized the Natrium design and the Marching memorandum of understanding announced between TerraPower and Evergy. He described the technology as a sodium‑cooled advanced reactor coupled with molten‑salt thermal storage that would permit flexible, dispatchable, carbon‑free generation. Patman said the demonstration project the companies have been working on is sized at roughly 345 megawatts with thermal storage capability the companies describe as up to about 500 megawatts of dispatchable energy storage.

Patman told the board the initial TerraPower pilot project being developed in the Mountain West involved roughly a $2 billion price tag shared by the U.S. Department of Energy and project partners; he said TerraPower and Evergy expect costs to decline with subsequent deployments. He also noted the pilot project relied on a public‑private partnership and substantial federal participation. Patman said potential local actions—if Coffey County wished to be considered as a site—include: drafting a letter of interest, assembling community letters of support, identifying suitable parcels (he referenced roughly 100 acres as a possible campus footprint), and preparing to document infrastructure availability for the project team.

Board members asked about jobs and water. Patman said construction employment on the pilot project could approach 1,500 jobs with an estimated 200–250 permanent positions when the site is operational; he added the Natrium design uses liquid sodium as the primary coolant so its water needs are substantially lower than conventional large light‑water reactors. Several commissioners expressed support for preparing a formal county resolution and letters of support and asked staff to draft a resolution and a letter of interest to present at the next meeting.

Nut graf: The session was an exploratory briefing rather than a formal action; commissioners endorsed moving forward with staff preparing draft materials (letters and a resolution) that would signal local interest to the TerraPower/Evergy project team and the Kansas Department of Commerce if Coffey County chooses to pursue a site.