Nuclear in North Dakota?

BISMARCK, N.D. (KUMV) — North Dakota has the coal plants, it has windmills and it even gets electricity from natural gas. State lawmakers are now looking into the feasibility of nuclear reactors and how they could help improve the grid.

Nuclear power is created through the splitting of uranium, which heats and generates steam that powers generators. There are various methods of how that process occurs, and the facilities can range from large-scale plants to small modular reactors.

Supporters say the biggest benefit of nuclear is that it’s clean and has lots of potential.

“A gummy bear is the size of a uranium pellet. A uranium pellet has about the same amount of energy as a ton of coal, 150 gallons of oil, and 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas,” said Michelle Zietlow-Miller, public engagement officer with the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear.

Nuclear also has its challenges, including the inability to store electricity, water consumption and public concern about nuclear waste.

Officials say waste is slotted into large concrete casks and that the waste itself is very minuscule in size.

“If we took all of that electricity generated by nuclear since 1950, all of that would fit on a football field and be only about 10 yards deep,” said Dr. Matthew Memmott, associate professor in Chemical Engineering at BYU.

Over the next year, a legislative committee is looking into the feasibility of having small modular reactors in North Dakota. This week, they voted to work with Nucleon Energy to develop a study on the resource.

“I know small modular reactors are the way our state will probably go. I would think the first two SMRs that would be put in the state might be at the Minot Air Force Base and Grand Forks,” said Rep. Dick Anderson.

It may be some time before people see a nuclear plant in North Dakota, however. Some bill proposals will be expected to come up during the 2027 legislative session, which could lay the groundwork for how they would be regulated and approved.

Today, nuclear provides around 20% of the nation’s power with plants in 28 different states. A utility in Estevan, Saskatchewan, is proposing a small modular reactor in that area, about 10 miles from the North Dakota border.

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