Is this the future of nuclear power plants?
MURRAY — A recent report from Bloomberg News Energy Finance speculates coal will be out of the power generation market within 30 years, fueling exploration of nuclear options in Murray and beyond.
Tuesday night, Murray City Council approved an additional $15,000 in spending to the Carbon Free Power Project, aimed at exploring Small Nuclear Reactors (SMRs). That’s on top of an initial $15,000 investment.
The U.S. Department of Energy says the small reactors offer better safeguards than traditional reactors. It has provided substantial support to the development of light water-cooled SMRs.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is currently reviewing licensing for SMRs, but it’s believed they will likely be deployed in the next 10-15 years.
Meanwhile, 23 Utah cities already signed sales contracts with NuScale, a company looking to build the nation’s first Modular Nuclear Reactor. And Murray City may be the 24th.
The SMR would be built near Idaho Falls at the Idaho National Laboratory. Designs call for it to use much less water than traditional reactors along with liquid metals, salts, and helium as coolants.
If the project is approved, cities would not receive the nuclear power until at least 2026.
