A Nuclear Project Brings Idaho to the 22nd Century

Imagine electricity so plentiful and local that there’s no need for long-distance power lines!  And no sticker shock after receiving monthly bills from the power company.  This is more than a distant hope.  Work commenced this week at Idaho National Laboratory on a miniature nuclear reactor.  Imagine several of these between Arco and Idaho Falls, powering AI data centers, which could provide jobs and high-paying work.

The Lights Will Always Come On

Imagine one in every town in America, from Barrow, Alaska, to Key West, Florida.  United States Interior Secretary Doug Burgum joined me on-air and explained that the reactors could also power our military bases, giving the country a competitive advantage in AI and overall economic benefits.

The new power plant at INL is using fuel from a reactor that previously operated on the site.  It will be cooled with salts.  Green energy advocates have long been opposed to nuclear power, but as the Secretary explained, nuclear power’s death toll is minuscule compared to what we see yearly on the nation’s roads.

Plentiful Power and Safety

I believe the miniature reactors offer another advantage in terms of transmission.  Since long-distance lines will become obsolete, and power will be supplied locally, the lines could be buried.  Underground transmission is a safeguard against periodic solar flares and an electromagnetic Pulse Weapon.  An EMP could leave us living in something akin to prehistoric times.  Burgum expects the power plant will be complete in two to three years.  When it’s complete, it can be a prototype for sales of units worldwide.