Wisconsin, Vermont eye SMRs at former nuclear plant sites

Within the last week, officials in Wisconsin and Vermont have openly discussed the possibility of deploying small modular reactors at sites that formerly housed traditional, large nuclear reactors.

SMRs in Wisconsin: Dairyland Power Cooperative and nuclear company Applied Atomics announced Thursday they signed a letter of intent to explore the feasibility of deploying SMRs at Dairyland's La Crosse nuclear power plant site in Genoa, Wis. Dairyland operated the 50-MWe boiling water reactor at La Crosse from 1967 to 1987; the site was fully decommissioned by 2023. The area also hosted a coal-fired power plant, which has since been retired.

The LOI will allow the partners to evaluate Applied Atomics' SMR technology and how many SMRs the site can support. According to the announcement, Dairyland also will explore a potential power purchase agreement with Applied Atomics.

"We're excited to further evaluate the Genoa site and a long-term partnership with Dairyland and the surrounding communities. The site's power generating history, existing transmission infrastructure, and Dairyland's growing energy needs combine to make this one of the top opportunities to deploy clean, affordable nuclear power by the early 2030s," Applied Atomics CEO Ben Kellie said in a statement.

Currently, BWX Technology's mPower pressurized water reactor is a frontrunner for the site. According to Applied Atomics, the reactor was designed to generate 195 MWe (575 MWt). The companies' joint announcement said each unit can produce 100 MWe.

"BWXT engineered mPower with utilities squarely in mind: a proven light water design, integrated safety features and a manufacturing approach that supports predictable, cost competitive deployment," BWXT Advanced Technologies president Kate Kelly said in a statement.

This summer, Applied Atomics and BWXT announced a licensing agreement giving Applied Atomics exclusive rights to BWXT's mPower technology for the commercial development and deployment of land-based nuclear power plants. The announcement was a reversal of fortunes for the reactor design, as BWXT had shelved the mPower project in 2017 due to market conditions.

SMRs in Vermont: Kerrick Johnson, the commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Service, spoke to the Vernon, Vt., Selectboard at its October 20 meeting about new nuclear opportunities-specifically about what could work at the site of the former Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, which is located in Vernon.

Vermont Yankee entered commercial operation in 1972 as a single-unit, 617-MWe BWR. In 2006, then-operator Entergy applied for a 20-year license extension, but a contentious legal battle ensued with the Vermont legislature.

Entergy won the court ruling, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission renewed its operating license, but Entergy shut down the plant in 2014, citing economic factors. It is currently in the process of decommissioning, with the work expected to be completed by 2030.

Johnson said there is a "hunger for electrons for power" in New England-a push for new power that is clean, at scale, affordable, and can address affordability and climate change. Nuclear power is the answer, he told the selectboard, saying that SMR technology could be considered for the former Vermont Yankee site. He also mentioned the opportunity for fusion, given Vermont's proximity to the neighboring state of Massachusetts, home to Commonwealth Fusion.

"That site-with existing transmission, an existing river, an existing railroad site-is very attractive," he told the selectboard about Vermont Yankee. But he cautioned that much of the work in SMRs and fusion involve start-ups, and that "some of this has to shake out before we really feel who do you really want to do business with." He also said his department would never get behind a new nuclear opportunity without the support of the Vernon community.

Nonetheless, Johnson said he believes the support is there. He cited a survey claiming that 63 percent of Vermonters support nuclear power; he did not name the survey. On a state level, Johnson noted that Gov. Phil Scott joined the governors of the other New England states who declared their support in exploring next-generation nuclear technologies. Currently, Millstone's two PWRs in Waterford, Conn., and Seabrook's single PWR in Seabrook, N.H., are the only operating commercial nuclear reactors in New England.

However, Johnson cautioned, "nothing is going to happen overnight," estimating that an SMR project at Vermont Yankee would take seven to eight years if the project started today.