Bill Gates's nuclear-power firm, TerraPower, is helping to build a small experimental nuclear reactor in Idaho that is expected to cost $170 million.
Southern Company plans to use TerraPower's tech to develop a molten-chloride fast reactor, according to Southern's statement.
It came after TerraPower, founded by Gates 15 years ago, said it had picked the Wyoming coal town of Kemmerer as the preferred location for its first advanced "Natrium" nuclear power plant.
TerraPower's nuclear reactor in Wyoming uses liquid-sodium nuclear technology, while the Idaho project uses molten chloride. This means it can operate at higher temperatures than a traditional nuclear reactor, and is a carbon-free energy source. The five-year project is designed to test, research, and develop molten-chloride fast.
The US Department of Energy is funding 80% of the $170 million nuclear reactor project, with the rest coming from Southern, TerraPower, and other companies.
Southern and TerraPower were awarded $40 million by the DoE to build the necessary infrastructure for molten-chloride fast reactor.
Lauren Lathem, a Southern program manager, said that a commercial version of the experimental reactor could produce around 720 megawatts.
TerraPower's Wyoming nuclear power plant is set to provide 500megawatts of power, which is enough to power around 400,000 homes.
The reactor in Idaho will go into service in the year 2026, according to Southern's Lathem.
TerraPower didn't reply to Insider's request for comment.
TerraPower's technology is important to a sustainable clean energy future.
Chris Levesque, TerraPower's president and CEO, said in the statement that the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment will lead to the successful development of low-cost, clean energy for the future.
