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Coffey County commissioners discuss drafting support for TerraPower’s Natrium reactor
Summary
County economic-development director briefed commissioners on TerraPower’s Natrium small‑modular reactor concept and an MOU with Evergy; commissioners asked staff to draft a letter of interest and a resolution signaling local support while noting licensing, site and infrastructure requirements.
Coffey County’s economic‑development staff discussed the possibility of hosting a TerraPower Natrium reactor after an announced memorandum of understanding between TerraPower and Evergy to explore Kansas sites.
Online Development Director Jenny Padman explained the Natrium design to the commissioners, saying the technology pairs a sodium‑cooled fast reactor with a molten‑salt thermal‑storage “energy island.” “They are a company that was founded by Bill Gates,” Padman said, and the Natrium design “doesn’t use water as the primary coolant,” which she said would reduce cooling‑water needs compared with conventional reactors.
Padman described the pilot project approach the company used in Wyoming, telling the board the initial plant cost there was roughly $2,000,000,000 and that construction could generate about 1,500 jobs with roughly 200–250 permanent operational positions at a finished campus. She also said developers typically seek sites of roughly 80 to 120 acres and significant transmission and licensing readiness.
Commissioners asked about next steps and how the county could demonstrate local interest. Several members voiced support for moving forward with formal expressions of community backing. One commissioner said a formal resolution and letters of interest would signal Coffey County’s readiness; Padman agreed to draft a resolution and a letter of interest for the board’s review at a future meeting.
No formal commitment to host or finance a project was made; commissioners emphasized that site selection, Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing and utility decisions would be made by TerraPower and Evergy. The board directed staff to prepare draft materials for consideration at the next meeting.
