Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
The tristate initiative has the support of the Trump administration, which has ordered the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to speed up nuclear licensing and has directed the DOE to have ten new “large reactors” under construction by 2030 with a goal of adding three hundred thousand megawatts of nuclear power to the grid by 2050.
A portion of federal policy leaning toward nuclear energy began during the Biden administration, which named Wyoming and Idaho as part of a Tech Hub within the Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Corridor.
Despite enthusiasm among private industry and state and federal officials, there are significant challenges to implementing a resurgence of nuclear power generation in the region.
Several speakers at the WGA event mentioned that AI and data center developers favor new power generation facilities that are, in a regulatory sense, apart from the shared electrical grid, or “behind the meter.” That will complicate the utility regulatory environment and rate structures. In addition, the U.S. is still reliant on other nations for nuclear components and several aspects of the fuel supply chain, which will take years to provide domestically. Others said that the Trump administration’s demands on federal agencies such as fast-tracking and licensing a massive buildout of nuclear power plants are at odds with recent staff downsizing.
Nuclear industry leaders are also concerned about a dearth of workers for jobs that require specific training and certifications.
Bill Abolt is a Deloitte Specialist Executive. He said, “We know that we need a significantly expanded workforce for the modernization and expansion of the grid.” The nation’s long pause in building nuclear energy has left the industry with skilled experts who are retiring and an empty “pipeline” to replace them, he added. “The people that built the last nuclear power plant didn’t just stick around and wait for the next one.”
States have made major advancements in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and training. However, nuclear fields have been a blind spot, several industry officials agreed.
INL’s Innovation and Technology Manager Chris Lohse said, “At some point, you need to figure out how to get Mike Rowe involved. “This is a reference to the television personality who touts the nobility of skilled trades and “dirty” physical labor.
Perhaps the industry’s biggest challenge remains its image as a dangerous liability to human health and the environment. This is a legacy of the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters, perpetuated in cinema and The Simpsons. The WGA event was packed with those who are certain of the safety of the industry. However, some noted that local opposition to things like wind farms extends to nuclear energy proposals.
Many residents in Bar Nunn and Gillette communities have long supported heavy energy industries. However, they are not convinced they want to welcome nuclear facilities. Campbell County commissioners recently drafted a resolution to strengthen their interim stance on the potential for spent nuclear fuel waste storage until putting the question to a public vote in the 2026 election. Until there has been a vote, the commission will remain opposed to such proposals.
Cassie Powers is the National Association of State Energy Officials Chief of Staff. She said, “There is a lot of time that’s being spent engaging with communities, local governments and people on the ground who may have been upset about a wind turbine. There does need to be some real, honest public engagement to demystify investments in nuclear.”
