UW Researchers to Study Repowering State’s Retiring Coal Plants with Nuclear Energy

University of Wyoming researchers have secured federal funding to analyze the possibility of turning retiring coal-fired power plant sites in Wyoming into small modular nuclear facilities, similar to what's happening with TerraPower's Natrium power plant under construction near Kemmerer.

Professor Haibo Zhai, UW's Roy and Caryl Cline Distinguished Chair in Engineering, will evaluate the technical feasibility, economic viability, workforce implications and community considerations associated with converting retiring coal-fired power plant sites into power-generating nuclear reactors in the state. The two-year study has a total budget of $645,000, with $513,000 of that funded by a U.S. Economic Development Administration program aimed at helping coal communities.

"A recent study by the U.S. Department of Energy indicates that 30 percent of U.S. coal-fired power plants are projected to retire by 2035. Repowering retiring coal power plants with small modular reactors can leverage existing facilities, infrastructure and local coal workforce to provide significant benefits, including reduced up-front investment and construction time, preservation of jobs and tax revenue for coal communities, and increased grid reliability," Zhai says. "Many coal jobs, such as electricians, mechanics and engineers, can be transferable to nuclear operations after additional training, preserving the workforce in local communities. And advanced nuclear energy can create new, high-salary jobs, as nuclear plants need more workers with specialized technical or engineering degrees, including bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees."

Wyoming has numerous coal-fired power plants in operation, some of which are envisioned for eventual retirement -- such as Pacificorp's Naughton plant at Kemmerer -- or to transition to natural gas or other power sources. Meanwhile, the demand for electricity is growing nationally and in the state, driven by artificial intelligence and associated data centers.

"The expansion of data centers in Wyoming is raising challenges for electric power systems, including rapid growth for electricity demand, power grid congestion and reliability during extreme weather, and resource competition," Zhai says. "Small modular reactors are an option for data centers because they are flexible and provide emissions-free, reliable power at stable prices. We will assess the fuel supply and cost for electricity generation by repowered plants dedicated for data centers and determine whether and what repowered plants are suitable as an affordable, reliable power source for data centers in different locations."

The study will look at a number of critical issues, including site infrastructure, physical site characteristics, water availability, permitting, technical feasibility and economic viability.

Coal and nuclear plants have important similarities, such as large site footprints, steam cycles, cooling systems and power grid connections, Zhai says. But there are differences. The researchers will explore reusing the sites, office buildings, electric devices, transformer stations and power grid connections, as well as deployment of nuclear reactors through direct or indirect integration with some existing facilities of coal-fired plants.

Zhai notes that the success of a coal-to-nuclear transition also will rely on local communities' receptiveness and on the collaboration with various stakeholders, including electric power utilities, local regulators, the Wyoming Business Council, the Wyoming Energy Authority, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, UW and the state's community colleges. Based on the identified site and plant candidates most suitable for coal-to-nuclear conversions and workforce requirements, the researchers will estimate the amount of private investment on repowered plants and the net number of permanent jobs that could be created.

The experience in Kemmerer shows that an advanced nuclear power plant may create up to 11,600 construction jobs and roughly 250 permanent jobs.

"Based on what our research finds, we will identify the local communities with sites and retiring power plants suitable for coal-to-nuclear conversions and then develop community-specific engagement plans to gauge public perception, understanding and value regarding a coal-to-nuclear transition," Zhai says. "The engagement plans will narrow communications to the identified communities and local stakeholders to solicit their interests, priorities, concerns and opinions."

In addition to Zhai's faculty position in UW's Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, he is a Wyoming Excellence Chair and an adjunct professor in UW's School of Energy Resources and School of Computing. Other team members include Ph.D. students Chengcheng Lyu and Md Sharmon Hossain Arnob; postdoctoral researchers Asad Ullah and Ayush Singh; and research programmer Karen Kietzke.

"Repowering retiring coal-fired power plants with small modular reactors has the potential to preserve the physical and human capital of the electric power sector while strengthening power grid stability," Zhai says. "The coal-to-nuclear conversion leverages existing civil infrastructure or facilities and reduces the cost and complexity of building new nuclear power plants."