Nuclear Power’s Comeback: TerraPower, Bill Gates, and the Race to Modernize Nuclear Energy in the U.S.

Short Summary

In this episode of The Daily, Sabrina Tavernise and reporter Brad Plummer examine the renewed push to revive nuclear power in the United States. The piece centers on TerraPower, a Gates-backed startup designing advanced reactors that use liquid sodium instead of water, aiming to cut costs and shorten build times. The conversation covers why nuclear energy matters for climate and reliability, the lessons from Three Mile Island, and the regulatory and fuel-supply challenges ahead as Kemmerer, Wyoming becomes America's next nuclear site. The discussion also highlights global competition from Russia and China and evolving U.S. policy to balance safety with innovation as regulators weigh the societal benefits of nuclear power.

Introduction

The Daily hosts a deep dive into the renewed interest in nuclear energy as a tool to combat climate change and meet rising electricity demand driven by data centers, AI, electric vehicles, and manufacturing growth. Reporter Brad Plummer explains why experts now view a diverse mix of clean energy technologies as essential for reliable decarbonization.

Historical Context and Why Nuclear Fell Out of Favor

The segment reviews the long arc of nuclear energy since the 1950s, the optimism of early reactors, and the crash after the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. It explains how safety regulations and rising costs discouraged new builds and helped usher in decades of slower growth, despite a strong safety record in the United States.

TerraPower’s Radical Redesign

The conversation shifts to TerraPower, Bill Gates, and a new approach to reactor design. TerraPower plans to use liquid sodium cooling rather than traditional water cooling, aiming to operate at lower pressures and reduce heavy containment needs. The goal is to build smaller, faster, and cheaper plants to expand nuclear’s role in a 24/7 clean-energy mix.

Costs, Timeline, and the Wyoming Groundbreaking

Plummer details cost expectations, with the first plant estimated around $4 billion, and the aspiration to reach roughly half the cost of conventional nuclear plants over time. Kemmer Unit One in Kemmerer, Wyoming, represents the first major construction effort under this new paradigm, backed by Gates and federal support, signaling a potential turning point for U.S. nuclear activity.

Regulatory and Fuel-Chain Hurdles

The NRC’s traditional familiarity with older reactor designs poses a hurdle for approving TerraPower’s new technology. The transcript discusses Russia’s fuel role and the push for a domestic fuel supply chain, highlighting regulatory reforms aimed at balancing safety with the need for innovation.

Global Context and Outlook

China and Russia are actively expanding nuclear capacity and developing new designs, creating a sense of urgency in the U.S. policy sphere to accelerate timely approvals. The piece concludes with a cautious but hopeful view that, with regulatory adaptation and technology maturation, nuclear could become a meaningful partner to wind and solar by the 2030s or 2040s.