Advanced Nuclear Partnership: TerraPower and Evergy Chart Course for Kansas Energy Future

TerraPower, the nuclear innovation company, has joined forces with Evergy Inc. (NASDAQ: EVRG)—a major utility serving 1.7 million customers across Kansas and Missouri—and the Kansas Department of Commerce to pursue a groundbreaking energy initiative. The three parties signed a memorandum of understanding to assess the feasibility of deploying TerraPower’s Natrium® reactor technology within Evergy’s operational footprint in Kansas.

The Natrium Reactor: Next-Generation Nuclear Technology

At the heart of this collaboration lies the Natrium platform, a next-generation advanced reactor system that represents a significant leap forward in nuclear energy design. The technology combines a 345 megawatt electric (MWe) sodium-cooled fast reactor with an innovative molten salt-based energy storage system. What distinguishes Natrium from competing advanced reactor designs is its dual-capability architecture: the molten salt storage component can increase total output to 500 MW during peak demand periods, while maintaining steady baseload power generation. This dynamic flexibility—unique among advanced reactor designs currently in development—addresses one of the grid’s most persistent challenges: balancing constant reliability with responsive capacity.

Strategic Site Evaluation and Implementation Framework

The partnership will focus on comprehensive site assessment across Evergy’s Kansas service area, examining multiple criteria including community acceptance, infrastructure accessibility, regulatory approval pathway through the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and physical site suitability. This methodical approach reflects the complexity of deploying large-scale nuclear infrastructure in contemporary energy markets. TerraPower already advanced this model by breaking ground in 2024 on its first commercial-scale Natrium facility in Wyoming, positioning the company to achieve what would become America’s next operational commercial nuclear plant.

Energy Independence and Economic Implications

State and federal leadership framed this agreement within broader energy strategy frameworks. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly emphasized the state’s commitment to comprehensive energy approaches, noting that exploring all viable power sources strengthens economic competitiveness. U.S. Senators from Kansas highlighted several policy dimensions: Senator Jerry Moran stressed the connection between nuclear energy deployment and U.S. energy independence, while noting potential electricity cost reductions for rate payers. Senator Roger Marshall emphasized nuclear energy’s capacity to deliver reliable, carbon-free power at scale. Lieutenant Governor David Toland positioned the initiative within Kansas’s economic development context, suggesting advanced nuclear deployment could simultaneously enhance competitive advantage and reduce consumer energy costs.

Utility Perspective and Decarbonization Goals

Evergy’s participation signals institutional confidence in advanced nuclear technology as part of comprehensive decarbonization strategies. The utility already derives approximately half its generation mix from carbon-free sources and views this Natrium assessment as a natural extension of its long-standing nuclear portfolio, which has operated for decades. The collaboration enables systematic evaluation of deployment costs, technical feasibility, and economic viability specific to Kansas market conditions.

TerraPower’s technology, co-developed with GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, represents institutional investment in solving nuclear energy’s most persistent engineering challenges—safety, efficiency, and grid integration flexibility. The partnership signals how advanced nuclear innovation connects technical breakthroughs with utility-scale implementation and policy support structures essential for large infrastructure projects.