TerraPower received U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval to build its Kemmerer Unit 1 advanced reactor in Wyoming—not permission to operate it. The planned reactor is rated at 345 megawatts electric (MWe); the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says its molten-salt storage system can raise the plant’s output to 500 MW. DOE projects completion in 2030, but that date is a forecast, not a confirmed start of commercial operation.
What did TerraPower get approval for?
In March 2026, the NRC issued a construction permit for Kemmerer Power Station, Unit 1, TerraPower’s Natrium demonstration plant in Wyoming. DOE described it as the first NRC construction permit for a commercial non-light-water power reactor. The permit authorizes construction under NRC oversight; it does not authorize the company to run the reactor or sell its electricity. DOE’s March 9, 2026 announcement summarizes the permit and the project’s regulatory milestones.
TerraPower applied in March 2024, and the NRC accepted the application in May 2024. DOE says NRC staff completed the safety review in December 2025. TerraPower had begun non-nuclear site preparation in June 2024. After the permit was issued, the company announced the official start of construction on April 23, 2026. That announcement called the project on track to become the first utility-scale advanced nuclear power plant in the United States; this is TerraPower’s characterization, not a completed milestone. TerraPower’s announcement also gives the company’s workforce estimates and describes a reported agreement with Meta.
Why is the reactor 345 MWe if the system can produce 500 MW?
The figures refer to different parts of the Natrium design. DOE gives the reactor a rating of 345 megawatts electric (MWe). Natrium pairs a sodium-cooled fast reactor with molten-salt thermal energy storage; DOE says that storage can boost the system’s output to 500 MW. The 500 MW figure is storage-enabled system output, not a revised rating for the reactor itself. The cited materials do not establish how long the system can sustain that higher output.
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TerraPower says the design uses high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) metallic fuel. The company also describes passive heat removal and atmospheric-pressure operation as design features. Those are the developer’s descriptions; they should not be read as an independent finding about the plant’s safety or operating performance. TerraPower’s Natrium FAQ provides the company’s design and fuel descriptions.
Can the reactor operate now?
No. A construction permit is distinct from an operating license, and TerraPower must apply separately for NRC authorization to operate the facility. The company’s FAQ says it anticipates submitting that application in 2028. That is a planned filing date, not an NRC approval or a guarantee of when the reactor will begin operating.
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When is the Wyoming reactor expected to be finished?
DOE reports project completion is expected in 2030. Treat this as a projection, not a confirmed commercial-operation date. TerraPower’s April 2026 announcement estimated that approximately 1,600 construction workers would be mobilized and approximately 250 full-time staff would be needed once the plant is operational; those are company estimates, not independently audited workforce outcomes. The sources cited here do not establish a project cost, delivered electricity price, construction-emissions figure, or measured reactor performance.
What does the UK assessment mean?
In June 2026, the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), alongside the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales, began a voluntary three-step Generic Design Assessment (GDA) of Natrium. The design-stage review considers safety, security, safeguards, and environmental implications before any site-specific decisions. It is a separate UK process—not a permit for a UK site and not a substitute for U.S. licensing of the Wyoming plant. The ONR’s June 16, 2026 announcement describes the assessment.
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What the permit does—and does not—establish
The permit is a significant regulatory step for an advanced reactor project, but it is not proof of operating performance or a verdict that Natrium is better than other ways to generate or store electricity. The cited agency and company materials do not provide an apples-to-apples comparison of project cost or lifecycle emissions against renewables, storage, or other generation. TerraPower has also described an agreement with Meta involving up to eight Natrium plants by 2035; that is the company’s account of the agreement, not evidence that those plants have been built or licensed.
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