Part 1 of 3 Parts
California-based Deep Fission has signed a letter of intent with an undisclosed partner to construct a nuclear reactor one mile underground in Kansas.
DF is a new startup that says it can help tech companies meet the “explosive demand” for more energy to power artificial intelligence (AI). It is one of two nuclear companies that have announced plans connected to Kansas in the past month.
DF is a company with a vision of installing “discreet, bespoke,” small, nuclear reactors one mile underground for data centers and other electricity-hungry industries plans to put its first reactors in Kansas, Texas and Utah. It has signed letters of intent with undisclosed partners in each of those states.
DF was asked whether it intends to engage in community outreach and what forms that outreach would take.
Chloe Etsekson Frader is Vice President for Strategic Affairs at DF. She wrote, “Our approach to community engagement always involves early, open conversations with the opportunity for people to ask questions, share feedback, and understand the project in detail. We focus on listening, sharing clear information, and understanding local priorities to build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with these communities.”
DF was asked whether the company is in touch with any Kansas state agencies about its intentions, and which state and local agencies it will need to liaise with or report to, in order to install an underground nuclear reactor in Kansas. DF did not answer but said its approach “is built on collaboration and compliance from the outset.”
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s administration didn’t respond to questions last week about whether it has any information about the project.
DF is one of two nuclear companies that have announced plans connected to Kansas in the past month. The other company is TerraPower. These two companies’ plans are quite different. While DF envisions small reactors tailored to provide on-site power to a data center or other user, TerraPower has contacted Kansas seeking to build a utility-scale nuclear plant delivering energy in Evergy’s service area. TerraPower has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kansas Department of Commerce and Evergy to explore the possibilities.
DF is a new company working toward installing its first sites. The company wants to create “scalable onsite power” by constructing nuclear reactors in thirty-inch boreholes drilled one mile deep. It says this ensures “billions of tons of natural shielding and passive containment” that add to the reactor’s safety. In addition, it takes up less surface area and lowers costs.
In a recent filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, DF said its model is “uniquely suited to meet the explosive demand for power from artificial intelligence (“AI”) workloads, energy-intense manufacturing, and energy-constrained regions.” It suggests that its approach can assist with potential public opposition to nuclear installations.
The filing said, “With site flexibility and no above-ground reactor visibility, DF reactors overcome many of the siting and public acceptance challenges facing traditional nuclear power solutions.
Rich Muller is a physics professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, and a 1982 winner of what is commonly called the MacArthur “Genius Grant.” DF was founded by energy and environment entrepreneur Liz Muller and her father.
The pair also founded a radioactive waste disposal company based on the same idea of using deep boreholes, albeit in that case to contain radioactive waste rather than reactors.
Please read Part 2 next