The Dominion coal burning energy plant is seen in Saint Paul, Virginia on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. Neighborhood leaders in Southwestern Virginia are giving severe consideration to the thought of using previously mined coal websites to accommodate small modular nuclear reactors.
Mike Belleme | The Washington Submit | Getty Pictures
Dominion Energy is speaking with different tech corporations about growing small modular nuclear reactors, after the Virginia utility entered into an agreement with Amazon final month to have a look at advancing the subsequent technology know-how .
“It’s totally encouraging to see giant energy customers, together with know-how corporations, specific a willingness to speculate, associate and collaborate to deliver this thrilling base load carbon free know-how into fruition,” Dominion CEO Robert Blue advised traders on the corporate’s third-quarter earnings name Friday.
Dominion and Amazon have signed a memorandum of understanding to discover growing a small modular reactor close to the utility’s North Anna nuclear station in Louisa County, Virginia. The small reactor would deliver 300 megawatts of energy to Virginia.
Virginia is likely one of the most nuclear pleasant states within the nation with robust bipartisan assist for next-generation nuclear initiatives, Blue mentioned.
“It isn’t shocking that our giant prospects would have an interest as they give thought to us as a superb operator of nuclear, to work collectively on perhaps advancing these sorts of applied sciences,” the CEO advised traders.
“So we have been speaking with Amazon clearly and others,” the CEO mentioned.
Tech corporations are investing in nuclear energy as they hunt for carbon-free, dependable electrical energy to assist the rising power wants of synthetic intelligence information facilities. Dominion serves the most important information middle market on the earth, northern Virginia.
Earlier this yr, Amazon purchased a knowledge middle campus from Talen Energy that will likely be powered by the Susquehanna nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. Microsoft has signed an settlement to buy energy from Three Mile Island as Constellation Energy goals to restart the plant in 2028. And Alphabet‘s Google agreed final month to purchase power from the startup Kairos Energy, a developer of small modular reactors.
Small modular reactors promise to scale back capital prices and pace the deployment of nuclear vegetation. They’ve a smaller footprint than giant reactors, making them simpler to web site in precept, and promise a less complicated manufacturing course of.
However the know-how has struggled to succeed in the industrial stage. There isn’t any working small modular reactor within the U.S. proper now.