FAQ

The Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP) is a prospective nuclear generating facility, which will be developed, designed, acquired, constructed, owned, operated, maintained, and decommissioned by the CFPP LLC, an entity wholly-owned by Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS). The CFPP is proposed to be sited within the southwest region of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in southeast Idaho and will utilize NuScale Power’s VOYGR™-6 SMR power plant design featuring six 77 MWe NuScale Power Modules™ to generate 462 megawatts of carbon free electricity. The CFPP will be the first NuScale Power small modular reactor (SMR) plant to begin operation in the United States and will provide safe, reliable, and cost competitive clean energy to communities across the Intermountain West.

The COLA development are well underway as of summer 2023. COLA submittal to the NRC is planned for early 2024. NRC COLA review will continue through July 2026, when approval is expected. Final Notice to Proceed is projected for July 2026. The first module would be operational at the end of 2029 with the full six-module plant operational by November 2030. The construction and licensing of future plants will take less time.

The subsurface investigations were completed in January 2022 including the vast majority of the field work. Geotech investigations, environmental and cultural surveys are complete. Topographical surveys met tower data collection and groundwater monitoring are ongoing.

No. The Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) is being considered as a DOE project to build a new facility on the INL to provide for testing of advanced nuclear fuels and materials to support the many advanced reactor design concepts in the U.S. nuclear industry.

The VTR, if constructed, would complement the existing U.S. national laboratory nuclear fuels and materials test facilities provided by the INL’s Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) and Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility.

Approximately 1,200 craft jobs, 300 construction staff and approximately 165 permanent (operations) jobs would be created.

Yes, these facilities would provide power to the grid. It is anticipated electricity produced at the site would be used by UAMPS members in several western states, including Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico.

UAMPS constantly assesses and forecasts the future electrical energy needs of its 50 member utilities. To meet those needs, UAMPS investigates and operates a variety of energy resources, including renewable resources such as wind, solar and waste heat, along with conservation and efficiency programs.

Because major projects require years to plan, construct and bring online, decisions must be made today to ensure adequate clean energy supply is available to meet load demands a decade from now.

UAMPS member utilities recognize that VOYGR-6, coupled with renewable energy, provides a decarbonized energy supply to meet the future energy needs. Nuclear energy is an excellent replacement for coal-fired power plants reaching the end of their life cycles and provides a clean, safe, reliable, carbon-free flexible resource that complements intermittent renewable energy.

It is anticipated that non-carbon electricity produced at the site will be used by UAMPS members, including Idaho Falls Power, in several western states. The project will further diversify power supply for UAMPS members and provide reliable, clean, long-term, carbon-free, and cost-effective electricity. The price will be competitive with the price of other sources of power. It will also replace electricity produced by existing coal-fired power plants as they are retired. Moreover, the CFPP will be a source of jobs during CFPP construction and throughout its operation, which is expected to last about 60 years. The CFPP construction project will involve more than 1,200 construction workers and 300 construction staff at the site. During plant operations the CFPP is expected to employ about 165 full-time staff.

The CFPP VOYGR-6 is a commercial enterprise located within the boundaries of the INL Site. The Department has supported the site selection and license application preparation, and has granted a $1.355 billion cost-share award to the CFPP LLC for the development and construction of the CFPP.

The Department and its predecessors have a long history of supporting the development of safe, economical nuclear power. DOE continues to foster innovation such as utilizing energy from new small modular nuclear reactor technologies, and considers it a way to commit to using clean energy, reducing spending, and strengthening the communities in which our federal facilities operate. This project further promotes the Department’s commitment to the accelerated deployment of SMRs. DOE is working with other federal agencies, U.S. businesses and universities to support safe, efficient technologies that will revitalize the U.S. domestic nuclear industry and play an important role in the fight against climate change.

The Nuclear Regulatory Committee is the responsible federal agency that would ensure the reactor design and operation is protective of human health and the environment. NRC regulations would apply to the siting, construction, operation and decommissioning of the SMR, including the preparation of an environmental impact statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act.

The project owner has decided to use dry cooling at the plant, reducing water consumption by 90% compared to wet cooling. The project is carefully following all environmental regulations and water permitting processes, overseen by state and federal regulators. CFPP will obtain its own water rights and will not use existing DOE water rights for the INL.

Used nuclear fuel will be stored on-site, as is the case with other existing nuclear power plants in the United States. The NuScale VOYGR plant design incorporates proven safe, secure, and effective used fuel management systems. Used fuel is stored underwater in a stainless steel lined concrete pool for at least 5 years. The concrete pool is well below grade as is part of the reactor building; the reactor building is a highly robust structure designed to Seismic Category 1 and aircraft impact resistant requirements, capable of withstanding a variety of severe natural and humanmade phenomena.

The facility design provides space within the protected area boundary to safely dry cask store all used fuel generated over the 60-year life of our SMRs. On-site used nuclear fuel storage is safe, and the federal government continues to work on siting and developing a national repository for spent nuclear fuel. On-site storage would fully comply with all NRC commercial storage requirements.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will be the lead regulatory agency overseeing a full safety and environmental review of any license application as well as the preparation of a Safety Evaluation Report and an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).The EIS will analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed project which DOE will use to decide whether to allow the project on the INL site. Construction and operation of a SMR would be under NRC licensing and inspection regulations.

As required by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations, a detailed analysis of a number of locations were considered for siting the CFPP. The INL site provides a number of advantages. INL is part of the DOE's complex of national laboratories and its primary mission is the development and demonstration of advanced nuclear technologies. INL has immense experience with nuclear reactors. More than 50 research, test and demonstration nuclear reactors have been constructed and operated on the 890-square mile INL site over the past 60 years to support the U.S. Navy’s nuclear propulsion program and the U.S. civilian nuclear power program.

INL has produced environmental data over many years useful in preparing the required environmental documentation necessary for an NRC licensing application. Although significant data gathering at the site for the COLA is still needed, and is underway, having the INL region so well characterized is helpful for the COLA application. CFPP is able to partner with INL in the development of seismic and volcanic data, and in biological and cultural surveys. The site also has excellent access to major transmission lines for electricity distribution.

The core security protected area can be a little as ~67 acres. The owner’s controlled area will be ~145 acres. ~ 170 acres will be needed to support the construction of the plant.

The site characterization was completed in January 2022. The Fluor team completed the drilling of 50 core borings and the installation of 10 monitoring wells. Meteorological data collection is underway and groundwater monitoring activities have been initiated. Site monitoring will continue through the end of the COLA Project. Data collected at the site will be used to assess potential impacts from future construction and operation, once design/facility layout activities mature.

Characterization activities include biological and cultural surveys in partnership with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to ensure knowledge of existing conditions at the site. Identification of biological species and any site cultural resources will provide important inputs into work planning to allow minimization of environmental impacts to the site. Gathering of the subsurface, groundwater, and meteorological data have of necessity included providing vehicle access from existing roadways, construction of a small parking area for workers, installation of temporary construction/office storage trailers, and installation of temporary generators/solar panels to provide electrical power capability for the trailers/meteorological tower equipment. All activities have been planned and conducted to minimize environmental impacts.