Nuclear Washington state lawmakers allocate $25 million to advance SMR development Utility Energy Northwest wants to develop a 960 MW small modular reactor project nuclear-powered Columbia Generating Station. Clarion Energy Content Directors 3.14.2024 Share (The Columbia Generating Station in Richland. Photo from Energy Northwest.) Washington state legislators have allocated $25 million in the state’s 2023-2025 capital budget for small modular reactor (SMR) development. The allocation is provided as a non-federal match for Energy Northwest’s participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) loan programs office application. The utility wants to develop “up to 12 Xe-100 advanced small modular reactors” capable of generating up to 960 MW of electricity adjacent to the large nuclear-powered Columbia Generating Station in Richland. The capital allocation received bipartisan support but still needs to be signed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. The $25 million allocation represents the first significant investment in nuclear energy generation by the Washington State Legislature in over a decade. “The people of the 8th District are energy-savvy consumers who understand the importance of clean nuclear energy,” said Rep. Stephanie Barnard (R – Pasco). “The development of advanced SMRs has been a top priority goal in the Tri-Cities for years, and it’s a top priority for me.” Energy Northwest said it expects to bring the first Xe-100 module online by 2030. X-energy’s Xe-100 SMR is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. The Maryland-based company said its SMR can address a broad range of uses, including applications that currently rely on fossil fuels to produce steam and heat for processes like manufacturing, petroleum refining and hydrogen production. Energy Northwest and X-energy have discussed plans for an Xe-100 reactor facility in central Washington since 2020. At one time X-energy’s goal was to have an operational unit by 2028, starting with a 320 MW four-unit Xe-100 power plant in the state. Related Articles DOE releases $1.6 billion budget for nuclear energy office: Here’s how it would be spent Oklo and Argonne claim milestone in fast fission test Conditions inside Fukushima’s melted nuclear reactors still unclear 13 years after disaster struck Fluor and Longview start design work on laser fusion plant