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A Bill Gates company is about to start building a nuclear power plant in Wyoming

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A Bill Gates company is about to start building a nuclear power plant in Wyoming


  • TerraPower, which Bill Gates founded, plans to build its first nuclear power plant in the US.
  • CEO Chris Levesque told the Financial Times it wants to start work on a site in Wyoming in June.
  • TerraPower says its reactor design is cheaper because they’re cooled by liquid sodium, not water.

A company cofounded by Bill Gates is about to start building next-generation nuclear power plants in the US.

Chris Levesque, CEO of TerraPower, told the Financial Times that his firm will start building at a site near a coal plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming in June, even if it hasn’t received a construction permit from regulators by then.

The company plans to bring the nuclear plant online in 2030, he added.

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TerraPower, which has raised $1 billion from backers, will use liquid sodium rather than water to cool its Natrium reactors, making them cheaper to run.

Most of the initial work at the Kemmerer site won’t be related to nuclear activity, Levesque said.

“When you use liquid sodium as a coolant instead of water it’s a game changer,” he told the FT.

“Natrium plants will cost half of what light water reactor plants cost … and we are moving our project along pretty aggressively.”

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Gates helped found TerraPower in 2006 and has been its chairman since then. The company has said its aim is to provide the world with a more affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy.

Its Natrium reactor is expected to cost $4 billion, with about half the cost being met by the Department of Energy. CRV and Khosla Ventures are among the company’s VC backers, Reuters reported.

While Russian and Chinese state-controlled companies have already managed to launch smaller nuclear reactors, progress in developing similar tech in the US has stalled in recent years.

High interest rates have made it tougher for startups to draw in funding, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent exclusion from financial markets has made it tougher for companies to get the uranium needed for their reactors.

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In December 2022, TerraPower pushed back the launch of its flagship project by at least two years, which Levesque attributed to the war in Ukraine hitting supplies of high-assay, low-enriched uranium.

In October last year TerraPower missed out on making the shortlisted for the next round of the UK government’s competition for small nuclear plants. Rolls-Royce is one of the leading contenders with its small modular reactor (SMR) designs and has already secured more than £200m of government funding in Britain.



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Search for fugitive wanted for child-sex crimes leaves Wyoming town on alert

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Search for fugitive wanted for child-sex crimes leaves Wyoming town on alert


With a population under 600, Byron, Wyo., is generally a quiet town. In recent weeks, streets have been even quieter as both local and federal law enforcement search for 39-year-old fugitive Anthony Pease, who is wanted for six counts of sexual assault involving a minor.

Authorities have been searching the area for weeks, and a reward for information leading to an arrest now sits at $2,000.

See how the search impacts the town:

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Search for fugitive wanted for child sex crimes leaves Wyoming town on alert

Saturday morning, law enforcement shared there was a confirmed sighting of Pease near town and reminded residents to remain vigilant by locking their doors and reporting suspicious activity. According to Wyoming’s Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office, before the weekend sighting, Pease hasn’t been seen since Nov. 1.

The Big Horn County Schools Superintendent, Matt Davidson, told MTN News a school resource officer on staff stays up to date with the latest on search efforts, and some parents say they’ve been keeping their kids indoors when they’re not at school.

As the search continues, the mayor as well as some residents, say they are taking law enforcement’s advice while keeping a watchful eye.

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“I never used to lock my house during the day. I didn’t even lock my vehicles at night. In fact, a lot of the time I’d leave the keys in them. I’ve talked to other people and there is quite a few people that are nervous. I would hope that a lot of us are nervous because this is a bad thing,” said Byron Mayor Allan Clark.

In fact, investigators could be seen around Byron knocking on doors and scanning land outside of town.

“There’s just so much area and a low population, so much area for him to hide and seek shelter,” Clark said.

With so many wide-open spaces and abandoned buildings in the area, Clark understands why the search has gone on so long.

According to the US Marshals Service, Pease is 5 feet 11 inches tall and may also be going by the name Abraham. They also ask that anyone nearby who has a collection of silver dollars to ensure they are still there, and if not, to report to authorities.

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Marshals say Pease is considered dangerous, and the public is told to not approach him and instead call 9-1-1. As the search has stretched over six weeks, many residents hope a capture will bring life back to normal.

“I hope that they capture him soon, and I hope that us as community members and around the area keep our eyes open and report anything suspicious,” said Clark.





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Five takeaways from the Wyoming Legislature’s budget hearings

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Five takeaways from the Wyoming Legislature’s budget hearings





Five takeaways from the Wyoming Legislature’s budget hearings – County 17





















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Shoshoni youth sets new world record with largemouth bass catch

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Shoshoni youth sets new world record with largemouth bass catch


SHOSHONI, Wyo. — A 12-year-old boy from Shoshoni is now the proud holder of the Junior 4-pound Line Class world record for bass after netting a 2-pound, 4-ounce largemouth in August. The boy, coincidentally with the last name Bass, caught the fish at Lake Cameahwait.

According to a release from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Tucker Bass and his father were fishing over the lake on a two-person kayak when the young angler reeled in the record fish. He did so on a rod and reel given to him by his grandfather.

Bass is the first Wyoming resident to hold a world record in any category for largemouth. The International Game and Fish Association oversees all world records for fishing and officially approved Bass’s catch in November.

Wyoming’s state record largemouth was caught in 2018 near Sheridan. A comprehensive list of all Wyoming record fish can be found here.

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“This is an exceptional accomplishment for a young angler,” WGF Lander Region fisheries supervisor Joe Deromedi said in the release. “Tucker’s record highlights not only his skill and dedication, but also the quality fishing opportunities we have in central Wyoming. It’s always exciting to see youth developing a lifelong passion for fishing.”

Bass, an avid fisherman, also earned Trophy Angler status in the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Master Angler program in August.

For more information on Tucker Bass’s record catch, see the Wyoming Game and Fish website.

Junior Line class 4-pound world record-holder Tucker Bass (WGF Department)

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