Virginia takes steps to bring advanced nuclear reactor to Wise County

Dominion Energy’s North Anna Nuclear Power Station in Louisa County. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury)

As Virginia wrestles with high energy demands and deadlines to switch to zero-carbon emission energy production, Gov. Glenn Youngkin last week announced funding to take the first steps towards building an advanced nuclear reactor in the southwest region of the state.

Wise County is the focus of a combined grant of $197,500 to search for private investment and federal funding to prepare the area for an advanced nuclear reactor. The area will be studied to find what kind of advanced nuclear reactor would best serve the region, how it would be funded, and if it could be used for research and power at the University of Virginia Wise. 

“This study is going to look at all the possibilities. What do we need? Does it help with data center development? But also we’re in a unique position to where you have an institution of higher education right there,” said Duane Miller, executive director of LENOWISCO Planning District Commission. 

There have been discussions of a reactor coming to the area for some time as funding has been sought out. Members of the public have expressed concern over nuclear power coming to their doorstep. Miller said this study process will have a public education and interaction period before any project is allowed to move forward. A reactor will be years away from construction in the area, but there is a lot to understand about the growing interest in the new-age small reactors.

What are advanced nuclear reactors?

The third generation of nuclear power facilities are considered advanced nuclear reactors. Most of the designs are small modular reactors, only generating a maximum of 300 MW. They are less costly than a full-sized reactor, driving interest in their development, and they are able to provide power in more remote areas. They are also touted as safer than full-sized reactors due to safety measures that can automatically stop a meltdown.

There are four main types of reactors that the U.S. Department of Energy lays out. 

-Advanced small modular water-cooled reactor (SMR), which uses water as a coolant and is smaller than a traditional light water reactor.

-Liquid metal-cooled fast reactors use sodium or lead as a coolant instead of water, allowing the coolant to operate at higher temperature and lower pressures.

-Gas-cooled reactors use flowing gas to cool them and are designed for higher temperatures.

-Molten salt reactors use molten fluoride or chloride salts as coolant.

There are currently no reactors of these designs in operation in the United States, but several states have cleared the way for the construction of new smaller reactors. 

There are dozens of companies racing to have their designs approved as the interest in kickstarting the nuclear industry again in the U.S. grows. A 2024 Pew Research survey showed that 56% of Americans are in support of expanding nuclear energy. That is significantly lower than the interest in expanding solar and wind, which are at 78% and 72%, respectively. Public interest in those renewable energy sources has significantly dropped since 2020, mainly from Republicans who are shifting focus to nuclear, according to the survey.

Having an advanced nuclear reactor online and producing power is still years off, with the first ones projected to power up in the 2030s. There are multiple advanced reactors in construction already in other states. TerraPower is building a molten salt reactor in Kemmerer, Wyoming. It has 345 MW capacity and can power more than 250,000 homes. The company aims to have it online early in the next decade.

How are advanced nuclear reactors approved?

On the local level, a roadmap has to be created, which is being done with the grant funding, to show options for placement, investors, and workforce development. Permitting by the county requires multiple public meetings and votes. State legislation has already been passed to allow utilities to comp some of the development costs of advanced nuclear reactors by passing the costs to consumers.

On a federal level, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is in charge of licensing and regulating commercial nuclear power plants. Applicants have to undergo a safety, environmental, and antitrust review. There are public meetings held near the site to go over the findings of the reviews. 

Only one of the third generation reactor designs have been approved by the NRC, with others working through the process. Fourth generation designs are also in the works. The NRC then visits and approves individual sites for reactors based on various requirements and environmental impacts.

The reviews include looking at site characteristics, design of the nuclear plant, how the plant would respond to hypothetical accidents, what could be emitted from the plant to impact the environment, and other emergency plans.

As there are dozens of designs floating around for these advanced nuclear reactors, the NRC also has to approve the designs in order to move forward with the application.

President Donald Trump has also been pushing for the small reactors to get up and running in the country. In May, he signed an executive order to direct the federal government to develop policies to expedite investment and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors. 

The order also allows the Department of Defense to have a say in the approval of these new reactors on federal lands, taking some of the power away from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission which has had the sole power in the past. This comes as a major political push for nuclear reactors takes center stage in national debates about energy production

Why Wise County?

Southwest Virginia once was a bustling energy producer in the heyday of coal production. Department of Energy Secretary Glenn Davis said he anticipates thousands of jobs could be created through the advanced nuclear reactor industry.

“Southwest Virginia was the energy capital of the East Coast, and it is sitting in a prime position to lead this new energy resurgence,” Davis said. “It’s perfectly situated, so we’re just trying to make sure we’re out in front of it, and getting the ball rolling.”

The state is not only considering producing nuclear energy, but Davis said there is interest in bringing manufacturing of the reactors to the commonwealth. He hopes to have some announcements by the end of the year.

Miller explained that like much of the rest of the state, there is a growing demand for reliable power sources. They are in support of an “all of the above” portfolio for energy production, an echo of the energy platform of Gov. Glenn Youngkin. With data centers popping up in their region, he believes that wind and solar power won’t be enough to meet demand.

“What we’re looking at right now, at least at the outset, would be something to help provide power…for UV-Wise but also to provide power for data center development at the adjacent data center park at the Lonesome Pine Technology park,” Miller said.

He said the region also wants to provide research opportunities at the university to aid in training students for the nuclear workforce as the industry grows.

With the university and workforce that is no stranger to energy production, Davis believes the region would benefit from small reactor manufacturing. The grant funds will be focused on bringing one project online, while the state separately works to secure manufacturing facilities.

What comes next for the Wise County project?

The Virginia Innovative Nuclear Hub is assisting local leaders and stakeholders in making a roadmap of the type of reactor that would be needed in that region to meet their future growth aspirations.

“When you’re deploying nuclear, you have a lot of licensing, you have site prep, you have to be able to figure out how you’re going to connect to the grid or not connect to the grid or whatever the case is,” said Jeff Whitt, director of Virginia Innovative Nuclear.

Whitt has decades of experience in the nuclear industry. He believes that Virginia is optimally positioned to develop these emerging reactors to manage energy needs.

“Deploying nuclear technology in a highly regulated, highly licensed regime with somewhat complex supply chain demands, it takes time and some organizations will be more mature in being able to do that than others will,” Whitt said.

Miller wants to assure the community of Wise County that this project can’t be rushed through the permitting process and there will be multiple chances for the public to learn about advanced nuclear reactors and how it could look in their communities. 

The roadmap will be developed over the coming months while the state also applies for federal assistance to begin early implementation for a project. Davis said there are two other advanced nuclear reactor sites proposed near the North Anna nuclear reactor site, which aim to come online in the early 2030s. The Wise County reactor would be online around the same time, should permitting and investment go through.

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