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County agrees by consensus to send letters of interest to TerraPower and Evergy for small modular reactor projects
Summary
Commissioners authorized signing letters of interest to Evergy and TerraPower to put Ottawa County on lists of communities exploring small modular reactors and related energy or data center projects; commissioners discussed safety, community buy‑in and economic development potential.
A commissioner presented draft letters of interest for Evergy and TerraPower to express Ottawa County’s willingness to be considered as a potential host for small modular reactors and related projects. The presenter noted that a Department of Commerce contact would hand-deliver the letters in Topeka and that the county’s transmission infrastructure could make the county attractive for certain energy or data-center investments.
Commissioners asked questions about safety and waste handling; the presenting commissioner described safety features of next-generation small modular reactors, saying, "They call it a walk away safety feature," meaning the reactors are designed to shut down automatically if operators leave the site. Commissioners agreed by consensus to sign and send three letters: two to the companies and one for internal records.
Why it matters: the outreach does not commit the county to any project but is a first step in courting industry interest that could affect local economic development, future tax base and workforce opportunities. Commissioners said community engagement will be essential for progress.
The clerk confirmed she would prepare signed copies to be mailed or emailed to the contacts provided by the state representative.
