Kansas could get next-gen nuclear power
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Rendering depicts a TerraPower nuclear plant. Image: Courtesy of TerraPower
Bill Gates-founded TerraPower is eyeing Kansas for its next nuclear reactor, and state leaders, along with Evergy, are on board.
Why it matters: New nuclear energy wouldn't only generate power for Evergy customers — it could give the KC region an edge in the race to land the high-profile tech and manufacturing companies powering the future.
The big picture: Leaders from Kansas, and Evergy and TerraPower, signed a non-binding agreement in late September to start evaluating sites for the new plant.
Context: The announcement comes at a time when major projects are underway around KC, including a $100 billion data hub development in the Northland.
- It's part of a booming industry of data centers and advanced manufacturers — large-load consumers whose demand for power limits their development to places that can handle them.
Between the lines: It's not just about keeping up with energy demands — it's also about bringing future business to the state.
- "To attract economic development in Kansas, they're going to need nuclear there," TerraPower chief executive Chris Levesque said on CNBC.
The intrigue: Chip maker Nvidia, also known as the world's most valuable publicly traded company, invested in TerraPower earlier this year.
Driving the news: Kansas is the latest potential expansion in a breakout year for TerraPower, following a similar agreement in Utah and ambitions to expand internationally.
- Gates described the company's first plant, which is currently under construction in Wyoming, as the "bedrock of America's energy future," PBS reports.
Zoom in: Evergy's sole nuclear power plant, Wolf Creek near Burlington, has operated for 40 years without a serious incident, which "built the confidence that these plants are going to be safe" in Kansas, Jeff Miller, vice president of business development at TerraPower, tells Axios.
Zoom out: According to a recent Gallup poll, Americans generally support nuclear energy, which doesn't produce carbon emissions and generates electricity more efficiently than other types of power plants.
Yes, but: New construction has been hindered by surging costs, and concerns over nuclear waste storage continue to fuel opposition.
How it works: TerraPower says its trademark Natrium reactor uses liquid sodium instead of water, making it more efficient and wasting fewer resources. It also uses a different type of fuel that produces less nuclear waste compared to older reactors.
- Any new plant would store its waste on site until a federal repository is established that can take it, Miller says.
- As many as 1,600 construction workers would build the plant, and it would employ between 200 and 250 people, Kansas Department of Commerce spokesperson Patrick Lowry tells Axios.
What we're watching: Both Evergy and TerraPower promise to engage with Kansas residents, providing "education, transparency, and forums to hear local perspectives," Evergy spokesperson Courtney Lewis tells Axios.
What's next: Any official location would likely be announced in 2026, Lowry says.