TerraPower, the nuclear energy company founded by Bill Gates, has secured a major $650 million investment to advance its Natrium reactor. This funding round included support from Nvidia’s NVentures, Bill Gates, and HD Hyundai. It brings TerraPower’s private financing to over $1.4 billion.
With $2 billion in federal support from the U.S. Department of Energy, the company now has more than $3.4 billion to speed up the design and building of its first commercial Natrium reactor.
The plant is being built in Kemmerer, Wyoming, at the site of a retiring coal plant. The goal is to have it operational by 2030, with construction that started in 2024. TerraPower has submitted its formal permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
This is an important step in the U.S. nuclear approval process. This project is a top example of small modular reactor (SMR) use in the country. It may also serve as a model for future clean energy growth.
Tech Titans Join Nuclear Push for Low‑Carbon, 24/7 Power
Tech companies are turning to nuclear power as data centers and AI technologies using a lot of energy now. Nuclear power offers a clean and stable solution. Unlike solar and wind, which are intermittent, nuclear energy provides consistent electricity around the clock. This makes it ideal for powering servers, cooling systems, and other infrastructure that must run 24/7.
Nvidia’s investment in TerraPower signals a growing interest from the tech sector in long-term energy solutions. AI applications, such as language models and image generators, drive high demand for computing power. This power relies on a steady supply of electricity.
According to estimates, a single AI training run can consume as much power as 100 U.S. homes use in a year. That figure is expected to rise as AI becomes more advanced and widespread. The chart below shows the range of power estimated for U.S. data centers by 2030.
TerraPower has also partnered with Sabey Data Centers to explore integrating Natrium reactors directly with new data center builds. The goal is to place advanced nuclear reactors near digital infrastructure. This will provide secure, carbon-free power where it’s needed most. This could help stabilize grids while also reducing emissions from the rapidly growing tech sector.
Other major technology firms like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are also investigating nuclear energy options. Many companies have net-zero goals due in the next decade. They are starting to see that renewables alone might not be enough.
Advanced nuclear reactors, such as Natrium, provide a flexible option. They complement solar and wind energy, which helps balance the grid and meet peak energy demands.
Natrium’s Secret Sauce: Salt, Safety, and Smarts
The Natrium design features a 345-megawatt sodium-cooled fast reactor. Unlike traditional reactors that use water as a coolant, Natrium uses liquid sodium, which allows the reactor to operate at lower pressures and higher temperatures. This improves efficiency and simplifies construction while enhancing safety.
What makes Natrium especially innovative is its 1-gigawatt-hour thermal energy storage system. This system stores excess heat in molten salt, which can then be released on demand to generate up to 500 megawatts of electricity for several hours. Such flexibility allows the plant to increase output during peak demand. It can also reduce production when renewable sources generate enough power.
Apart from being safer and more adaptable, Natrium is also cleaner than older reactors. It produces less long-lived radioactive waste and is designed to be easier to build and replicate. TerraPower expects future reactors to be constructed in about 36 months, significantly faster than traditional nuclear projects.
Supply‑Chain Partnerships and Global Scale‑Up
To bring Natrium to market quickly and at scale, TerraPower is forming global partnerships. The company is working with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to manufacture reactor components and vessel systems. It has also teamed up with Spain’s ENSA and South Korea’s Doosan for parts fabrication and engineering services.
TerraPower is also eyeing international markets. It has submitted its Natrium design to the UK’s Generic Design Assessment and is in early discussions with regulators in Japan and South Korea.
As more countries set net-zero goals and look to retire fossil fuel plants, interest in advanced nuclear is growing. TerraPower’s flexible, scalable model could meet that demand in both developed and emerging economies.
A New Nuclear Renaissance for Energy‑Hungry AI and the Grid
We are entering a new phase of global energy transition, one in which AI and data services will become as central to society as manufacturing and agriculture. With that shift comes a steep rise in electricity demand.
Data centers, AI training clusters, and cloud platforms are projected to consume up to 8% of global electricity by 2030—double what they consume today.
EPRI U.S. Data Center Load Projections
In response, private investors and governments are turning to small modular reactors as a solution. These reactors can be placed near industrial centers or in remote spots. They produce steady electricity while using little land and also fit well with the current infrastructure.
SMRs also complement wind and solar by filling in gaps when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. Learn more about this reactor technology in this comprehensive guide.
TerraPower’s Natrium is one of several SMR designs moving forward globally, but it is currently among the best-funded. Including the recent Nvidia-led round, SMR developers worldwide have raised over $3.5 billion in private capital since 2023.
That wave of investment shows a change in how industries and countries see nuclear energy. It’s not just a backup option anymore. Instead, it’s a key solution for decarbonizing power systems. Experts believe that advanced reactors could help meet dual challenges: providing zero-emission baseload energy and supporting the digital economy’s rising demand.
If TerraPower’s Wyoming project succeeds, it may lead to a new generation of nuclear plants that are smaller, safer, and easier to build than their predecessors. This trend is strengthened by the recent nuclear energy deal signed by Oklo with the U.S. Air Force. The DoD picked Oklo to provide clean power to its Eielson Base in Alaska.
Nuclear 2.0: Why TerraPower Could Lead the Charge
TerraPower’s Natrium reactor represents a bold and practical approach to clean energy. Backed by private tech investors like Nvidia and federal agencies, the company is creating a new nuclear power model. This model is safe, adaptable, and meets today’s energy needs.
If the company can deliver on its promise, Natrium may become a blueprint for the future of nuclear power: compact, clean, and ready for the 21st century.
