This breakthrough technology is coming to central Washington. It means cleaner power | Opinion
For the past several years, Energy Northwest and X-energy have been working together to bring an advanced nuclear energy project to the Tri-Cities. The northwest’s ambitious carbon reduction goals — requiring a 100% carbon-free energy system by 2045 — along with increased demand driven by electric vehicles and economy-wide greenhouse gas reductions, necessitate the development of new non-emitting energy generation.
As fossil fuel plants are retired, renewables and batteries alone cannot fill the gap without jeopardizing the electric grid’s reliability. Solutions are needed, and they are needed soon. Advanced nuclear energy technologies, such as X-energy’s innovative high-temperature gas reactor, the Xe-100, are an attractive option capable of providing the region with abundant supplies of clean, reliable power.
Building a next-generation nuclear power plant is a rigorous process, and our teams have been hard at work establishing the foundation for a successful project. This summer, we took a major step forward with the execution of a Joint Development Agreement between X-energy and Energy Northwest.
The culmination of months of hard work, the binding agreement confirms central Washington as the location of X-energy’s second advanced nuclear power plant – following closely behind the first plant slated for operation near a Dow industrial site in southeast Texas. There is still much to be done, and many questions to be answered, but the strong partnership between Energy Northwest and X-energy – further strengthened by this agreement – provides a clear path forward.
The elegant, evolutionary Xe-100 design is an ideal fit for the region’s clean energy needs, and the technology’s benefits are numerous. The plant can quickly integrate with renewables and load follow; can be dry cooled, which would require minimal amounts of water; uses online refueling to generate around-the-clock clean energy without interruption; utilizes a modular, scalable design, allowing additional units to be added to meet future economic growth and demand; and possesses inherent safety features and fuel that cannot melt, making it one of the safest energy facilities ever designed.
In addition to providing dependable carbon-free power to help achieve our climate goals, the project can enable tremendous economic growth, create thousands of new jobs, and maintain central Washington’s prominence in clean energy technological development and innovation.
The Tri-Cities has a long, distinguished history as a leader in the design, development, and deployment of state-of-the-art clean energy facilities and groundbreaking engineering projects. A perfect complement to this legacy is a highly effective federal delegation advancing clean energy solutions led by Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Reps. Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, along with support from the U.S. Department of Energy for bringing this advanced technology to the marketplace.
With a highly skilled workforce, nuclear-experienced craft labor, the preeminent Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and local communities already accustomed to tackling challenges and first-of-a-kind projects, the Tri-Cities community is an ideal partner for the deployment of next-generation nuclear power. Not to mention a top-performing existing nuclear power plant in the Columbia Generating Station, which alone provides nearly 10 percent of Washington’s electricity.
Our recent agreement establishes an ambitious timeline, with the first electrons flowing to the grid by December 2030. We are committed to this effort, and this agreement underscores our steadfast pursuit of partnership and progress. Achieving our vision of bringing new nuclear energy resources to the region would not be possible without strong partnerships with local communities and labor, as well as the forward-thinking leadership shown by our local elected officials.
Transparent communication is an important part of bringing this project and technology to fruition. There will be many developments and announcements in the months and years ahead, and together we will be working to deliver a project and product that strengthens and supports the future of central Washington.