Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

Updated: Sept. 25, 3:47 p.m. | Posted: Sept. 24, 4:29 p.m.

Last October, Xcel Energy CEO Ben Fowke told Climate Cast that the Minnesota-based utility company is interested in 

exploring some outside-of-the-box technologies

 to achieve 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2050. 

Now, one of them — a new kind of nuclear reactor — is a step closer to hitting the market. 

 in late August. The technology shrinks the cost, footprint and, according to NuScale, the risk of traditional nuclear. And it could help utilities fill gaps in reliable energy left by wind and solar that are currently being filled by coal power plants, natural gas and old nuclear power plants.

The reactors and their 15-by-70-foot containment vessels are assembled in a factory and can power 45,000 homes. Utilities can assemble a power plant using any number of these reactors to fit their needs.

“It’ll look more like an industrial building, as opposed to the large containment domes you associate with nuclear power,” said NuScale Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer José Reyes. “We designed our plants so that we can repurpose coal fire plants, and we can also retrain many of their workers to work at a NuScale plant.”

Reyes said 12 NuScale modules would avoid more than 6 million tons of CO2 emissions a year when compared with coal power plants. A 

 commissioned by a utility company in the Pacific Northwest found including SMR’s in its energy mix would be the most cost-effective way to reach the state’s zero-emissions mandate.

A safety review earlier this year did cast doubt on NuScale’s claim that the reactors would successfully shut down and remain cool in the event of an accident, according to Science Magazine. Reyes told the magazine that the issue would be resolved before a plant is built. 

Reyes spoke with MPR News chief meteorologist and Climate Cast host Paul Huttner. Hear their conversation using the audio player above.

Cities trying to limit gas hookups in new buildings

Mpls development to use groundwater for heat

Nearly half of Minnesota's power is now carbon-free

Environmental News

Climate

MPR News Programs and Podcasts

Climate Cast ®

Shows

All Things Considered

Host

Author

The federal government recently approved a new kind of nuclear reactor that’s smaller, cheaper and could be one the final pieces of the carbon-free puzzle.

Like factory-built homes, nuclear reactors are going modular

A rendering of a small-scale power plant.

Like factory-built homes, nuclear reactors are going modular

Go Deeper.

Like this?