TerraPower Gets First Nuclear Permit in Decade for Advanced Reactor

What Happened The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued TerraPower its first construction permit since 2012, ending a regulatory drought that has stalled nuclear innovation in the United States. TerraPower, founded in 2008 by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and a team of nuclear engineers, will build what’s expected to be their Natrium reactor—an advanced design that uses liquid sodium instead of water for cooling. This approval comes after years of regulatory review and represents the first major breakthrough in U.