Bill Gates and his 10-year-old energy company TerraPower are planning their first cutting-edge nuclear power plant in Kemmerer, a town that is remote even by Wyoming standards — a 50-mile detour off Interstate 80.
Its elevation is actually higher than its population and it attracts tourists who stop in to hunt for local fossils. But the best jobs come from different kinds of fossils — fossil fuels. A coal mine and natural gas wells power three electricity plants and employ upwards of 450 people. But as fossil fuel use dies out across the U.S., Kemmerer sees good times ahead and could become one of the world's most famous towns, thanks to one of the world's wealthiest men.
"Wyoming has a lot of transmission because of the coal plants. And, you know, they're, they're willing to let things go at, at full speed. There's somewhat of a pro-business atmosphere," Gates said. Solar and wind only work when the weather is right, but nuclear works 24 hours a day without spewing out climate-changing greenhouse gasses. It could be in operation by 2029, using a next-generation technology called natrium, which is the Latin name for sodium. Sodium-cooled reactors are three times more efficient than traditional water-cooled reactors, which means significantly less nuclear waste.
"There's a lot of big companies coming here. There's a need for the housing. So we jumped right into the market and was kind of first come. That's who's gonna win the game," Jackson said. "Isn't jobs the real answer here, that what you're bringing to this community is a chance to continue going on after their legacy of coal is over?" Petersen asked Gates.
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