Texas A&M University Advocates for Innovation in Nuclear Energy
With one of the nation’s two largest nuclear engineering centers, Texas A&M University is actively seeking proposals for the installation of several small, state-of-the-art nuclear power generating plants on its College Station campus. Texas A&M’s system Chancellor, John Sharp, believes this initiative can bolster the state’s power grid and confirm the safety of modern reactors.
“These reactors that we have now are not your granddaddy’s ‘Three Mile Island reactors’,” Sharp said, referring to the 1979 partial reactor meltdown in Pennsylvania. “They are very different.”
Increasing Demand for Electric Power
Sharp argues that nuclear energy is essential to address the forecasted doubling of the state’s demand for electric power over the next six years. The Texas A&M system recently joined the Texas Nuclear Alliance, an advocacy organization formed following the February 2021 storm that disrupted power to millions and threatened a near-catastrophe for the state’s electric grid.
Modern Reactors: Safer, Smaller, More Secure
Modern small nuclear reactors – the kind Texas A&M hopes to install – are significantly smaller than traditional ones. These small modular reactors (SMRs) can be manufactured offsite and even buried underground, bolstering security and safety, and mitigating threats from potential hostile forces.
The inaugural SMR in Texas is set to be located at Dow’s Seadrift plant near San Antonio Bay, with construction starting in 2026 and power generation slated to start in 2030.
The Debate Rages On: Can SMRs Solve the Energy Crisis?
While industry leaders and organizations like the Energy Department and Nuclear Alliance trumpet the safety and zero-carbon benefits of SMRs, others, like Karen Hadden, Executive Director of the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development Coalition, are skeptical. Hadden warns about the risks associated with traditional nuclear plants still being applicable to SMRs, including radiation leaks and challenging waste disposal.
Studies also cast doubt on SMRs’ efficacy at addressing energy demand and waste reduction. A Stanford University study published in May 2020 found that despite their sizing, SMRs could potentially increase the volume of nuclear waste. However, a subsequent report by the Energy Department’s Argonne and Idaho National laboratories found the nuclear waste generated by SMRs to be ‘roughly comparable’ to larger nuclear plants.
Moving Forward: A Sudden Push for Nuclear Power in Texas
In August, Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Public Utility Commission to investigate potential incentives and hurdles for developing more in-state nuclear power. To buttress electric generation, Texas A&M anticipates soliciting proposals for situating reactors on its campus next month.
The expected surge in demand for electricity is largely driven by cryptocurrency mining and artificial intelligence data centers, making the establishment of SMRs a logical and timely solution, according to Chancellor Sharp.
Sharp believes Texas, with its diverse political climate, is an ideal location for the introduction and testing of SMRs when compared to politically sensitive regions. “I think the rest of the country has to be educated about how, how good these reactors are,” Sharp said.