The United States has entered a new phase of nuclear power development, with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granting approval for TerraPower, a company supported by Bill Gates, to construct its Natrium advanced nuclear reactor. This marks the first commercial nuclear construction permit issued in nearly ten years and is also the first federal license for a commercial non-light-water reactor in over four decades.
On March 4, 2026, the NRC unanimously approved the construction of the reactor at Unit 1 of the Kemmerer power plant site in southwestern Wyoming. TerraPower stated that physical construction will officially commence "within the coming weeks."
With zero nuclear power units currently under construction in the U.S., this approval returns the country to the global nuclear construction landscape. Earlier this year, TerraPower signed an agreement with Meta, planning to build up to eight Natrium reactors to provide stable, carbon-free power for artificial intelligence data centers.
This partnership highlights a structural shift in the power market. The continuously expanding electricity demand from artificial intelligence and data centers is driving technology companies and energy developers to accelerate their search for reliable baseload power sources, bringing the commercial prospects of advanced nuclear power into sharper market focus.
**Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor: Breaking from Traditional Technology**
The Natrium reactor employs a pool-type sodium-cooled fast neutron design with an electrical capacity of 345 megawatts. Unlike traditional light-water reactors, it is equipped with a molten salt energy storage system, allowing it to provide stable baseload operation while flexibly adjusting its power output, offering responsiveness similar to a natural gas peaking plant.
For fuel, Natrium uses high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), with a uranium-235 enrichment level of approximately 15% to 20%, enabling a smaller, more efficient core design.
This is the first commercial non-light-water reactor approved in the U.S. in over forty years, breaking the long-standing dominance of light-water reactor technology in the American commercial nuclear sector.
**Regulatory Acceleration: Significantly Shortened Review Cycle**
TerraPower submitted its construction permit application in March 2024. NRC staff completed their review in just 18 months, significantly faster than the initially projected 27 months, demonstrating markedly improved approval efficiency.
This regulatory acceleration is viewed by observers as a signal that authorities are actively responding to pressures from rapidly expanding electricity demand.
Prior to the formal approval, TerraPower had already commenced construction on the non-nuclear portions of the project in 2024, utilizing relevant exemptions and a state-level permit issued by the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council in 2025. This work included components like the "energy island" storage infrastructure.
**Driven by Tech Demand: Meta Partnership Highlights Scalability Potential**
In early 2026, TerraPower signed a large-scale cooperation agreement with Meta, planning to build up to eight Natrium reactors for the company. The total capacity could reach several gigawatts, directly addressing the structural need for stable, carbon-free baseload power for AI data centers.
If the Kemmerer project proceeds successfully, it will provide crucial engineering validation and a regulatory precedent for the batch replication of Natrium technology.
As electricity demand from tech companies continues to climb and traditional fossil fuel power plants accelerate their retirement, the commercial path for advanced nuclear power is accelerating from the demonstration phase toward large-scale deployment, with correspondingly increasing attention from markets and investors.
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