Amazon will join Energy Northwest in Richland to develop new nuclear power generation in Washington state, the giant Seattle online retailer announced Wednesday morning. … In Washington state, Amazon has signed an agreement to pay for the initial feasibility phase to develop a small modular reactor project near the Northwest’s only commercial nuclear power plant, the Columbia Generating Station. The plant is 10 miles north of Richland on unused Hanford nuclear site land leased from the federal government. In exchange, Amazon will have the right to buy electricity from the initial four modules proposed, which would generate 320 megawatts of energy capacity.

“As a member of Washington’s business community, Amazon is committed to investing in new nuclear energy technologies that can help power our operations and provide net-new, safe sources of carbon-free energy to the grid,” said Kevin Miller, Amazon’s vice president of global data centers. Under current plans, the first modules in Washington could be generating power by 2031 or 2032, said Bob Schuetz, Energy Northwest chief executive officer. The feasibility study funding from Amazon should jump start Energy Northwest’s efforts to develop an X-energy advanced nuclear project after it has worked for several years with the limited money available from public power on the project and has struggled to find funding for it.

Energy Northwest has the option to further build out the site by adding up to eight additional modules for a total generating capacity of up to 960 megawatts. By comparison, the Columbia Generating Station has a total generating capacity of up to 1,207 megawatts, or enough electricity to power about 1 million homes. It produces about 10% of the electricity used in Washington.

While Amazon is willing to take all the power from the first four modular reactors planned, there should be an opportunity for public power to buy some of it, Schuetz said. “One of the greatest concerns for community-owned electric utilities is having access to reliable sources of electricity that fulfill carbon-free energy mandates,” said Kurt Miller, executive director of Northwest Public Power Association. “Advanced nuclear fits the bill.” The region is projected to be short 3,000 megawatts or more by the end of the decade, based on a growing population and increasing load from manufacturing and other new businesses along with the continuing transition to meet clean energy goals, Schuetz said. Next year, the coal-fired power plant in Centralia, the last one operating in the state, is expected to permanently close.

“Amazon’s announced investment in small modular reactors gives me hope for the future of the Northwest power grid,” said Rick Dunn, general manager of the Benton PUD. “Under 100% non-emitting electricity requirements, nuclear power is the only technology capable of reliably delivering the massive amounts of around-the-clock energy our society needs, while also positioning utilities to meet aggressive electrification goals,” he said.

The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that data centers could grow to consume up to 9% of U.S. electricity generation annually by 2030, up from 4% of total load in 2023. Data center expansion plus technologies like artificial intelligence, new domestic manufacturing, and electrification in different sectors such as transportation and buildings could lead to total energy demand growing 15 to 20% in the next decade, the DOE Office of Policy said. Amazon already has a significant presence in Eastern Oregon and Washington. (Tri-City Herald, A. Cary, 10.16.24)

To read the entire article visit this link:

https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article293959029.html#storylink=cpy