The coal-burning Dominion Energy Plant is seen in St. Paul, Virginia on February 7, 2023.
Mike Belem | The Washington Publish | Getty Pictures
Dominion Energy is negotiating with different expertise corporations for growth small modular nuclear reactorsafter the Virginia utility entered an agreement with Amazon final month to take a look at the progress of next-generation expertise.
“It’s totally encouraging to see main power customers, together with expertise corporations, categorical a willingness to take a position, associate and collaborate to carry this thrilling zero-carbon baseload expertise to life,” Dominion CEO Robert Blue instructed buyers throughout the firm’s third-quarter earnings name Friday.
Dominion and Amazon have signed a memorandum of understanding to review the event of a small modular reactor close to the corporate’s North Anna nuclear plant in Louisa County, Virginia. The small reactor will carry 300 megawatts of energy to Virginia.
Virginia is without doubt one of the most nuclear-prone states within the nation, with sturdy bipartisan assist for next-generation nuclear initiatives, Blue stated.
“It isn’t shocking that our main prospects would have an interest, as a result of they consider us as a great nuclear operator, to work collectively to doubtlessly advance some of these applied sciences,” the chief instructed buyers.
“So we have talked to Amazon clearly and others,” the chief stated.
Tech corporations are investing in nuclear energy as they search carbon-free, dependable electrical energy to assist the rising power wants of AI knowledge facilities. Dominion serves the most important knowledge middle market on this planet, Northern Virginia.
Earlier this yr, Amazon purchased a knowledge middle campus from Talk about energy which will probably be powered by the Susquehanna Nuclear Energy Plant in Pennsylvania. Microsoft has signed an settlement to buy power from Three Mile Island like Constellation energy goals to restart the plant in 2028. AlphabetGoogle agreed final month to sure purchasing power from startup Kairos Energy, developer of small modular reactors.
Small modular reactors promise to cut back capital prices and speed up the deployment of nuclear energy vegetation. They’ve a smaller footprint than massive reactors, making them simpler to position in precept and promise an easier manufacturing course of.
However the expertise has struggled to succeed in the industrial stage. There may be at present no small modular reactor working within the US.
