The Johnson County commission has joined De Soto in expressing support for exploring the possibility of locating a nuclear power plant in the area.
Commissioners on Thursday unanimously voted for a resolution intended to encourage TerraPower, a Washington state-based company, to put Johnson County on its list of potential Kansas sites for a new 345-megawatt Natrium nuclear reactor.
In September, TerraPower signed an agreement with Evergy and the Kansas Department of Commerce to begin searching for a location for a relatively new type of reactor the company has developed, using molten sodium as a coolant.
The idea also has bipartisan support from Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Lt. Gov. David Toland, both Democrats, and Republican U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall.
Other Kansas governments have shown interest
Commissioners stressed during their discussion on Thursday that the resolution only expresses the desire to be included in the conversation about locations and is not binding in any way.
The county would still have authority over zoning and regulations. Many other approvals and public engagement would follow, should TerraPower officials choose Johnson County.
De Soto and Johnson County are not the first local governments in Kansas to ask to be considered. Coffey and Lyon counties, as well as Emporia and Hutchinson, have also expressed interest.
Site selection is planned for 2026, but it may be 2030 before a plant goes online, said Assistant County Manager Adam Norris.
“The bottleneck is energy”
County chair Mike Kelly said he is glad to have the county among the potential sites.
“I think it’s important we’re having the conversation. As we think about the county and how our county is growing, the bottleneck is energy,” he said.
Making sure the area has enough energy to reliably power homes and businesses remains a challenge, he added.
County documents listed numerous benefits to locating a plant here. The construction would create about 1,600 construction jobs, 250 permanent positions at salaries from $80,000 to $120,000 and $8-15 million in estimated property tax revenue, for instance.
The resolution also recites selling points about the county, including available land, access to transportation corridors, the airport, access to water and an educated workforce.
This nuclear reactor is smaller and safer, proponents say
The Natrium reactor is in a class of small modular reactors that have been designed as the needs of data centers and AI become more apparent.
The plants are about a third the size of a conventional nuclear power plant and are touted as being cheaper and safer.
The reactor would be similar to a demonstration one currently being built in Kemmerer, Wyoming, and the jobs and economic impact numbers mentioned in the county documents mirror those given for Kemmerer.
Developers of Natrium reactors say their design makes them safer. The reactor uses molten sodium rather than water for cooling, making the plant less reliant on water (although water is still used).
County documents also note the enhanced containment systems and low-pressure operation and say the relatively small emergency planning zone reflects its safety.
But there have also been some doubters in Kemmerer, who are concerned that the liquid sodium poses safety issues because it can ignite when it comes into contact with air or water.
People have also been skeptical of investment in new and expensive technology when wind and solar power can be cheaper. There have also been concerns over what to do with radioactive waste and the danger of a catastrophic accident.
Different than another Kansas nuclear project
The proposed Natrium reactor is different from the Deep Fission project by a father-daughter team from California that was recently approved for Parsons, Kansas.
That small reactor will be built a mile underground.
Groundbreaking was held this week, and a company release says its goal is to be online by July 4, 2026.
