May 26, 2021   SOURCE: BusinessWire

NuScale Power and Grant County Public Utility District Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Explore Nuclear Energy Deployment in Washington State

Today, NuScale Power and Grant County Public Utility District (Grant PUD) announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to evaluate the deployment of NuScale’s advanced nuclear technology in Central Washington. The agreement underscores the increasing demand for innovative small modular reactors (SMRs) to provide communities with reliable and affordable clean energy.

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Based in Ephrata, Washington, Grant PUD is a public electric utility with the capacity to generate more than 2,100 megawatts of renewable, carbon-free energy for the Northwest at its hydropower plants. The utility also serves 40,000 retail customers in Grant County, which includes an expanding industrial sector. Grant PUD is a forward-thinking leader in managing and securing affordable, reliable, clean energy for its customers.

“We are proud to partner with an experienced, pioneering utility that has brought reliable, low-cost power to its people by investing in innovative, sustainable energy projects,” said John Hopkins, NuScale Power Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “As interest in our small modular reactors (SMRs) grows, we welcome this opportunity to emphasize how NuScale’s safer and smarter technology can be the reliable and affordable clean energy solution that communities like Grant County and others across America need.”

“Grant PUD is very excited to be in partnership with NuScale to explore the development of one of its small modular reactor nuclear plants,” said Kevin Nordt, Grant PUD Chief Executive Officer. “NuScale’s dedication to innovation and safety fit well with Grant PUD’s values. We are excited to work towards making nuclear power a key part of a carbon free future in the Pacific Northwest.”

Under this MOU, the two parties will work together to support Grant PUD’s due diligence process in evaluating reliable, carbon-free energy solutions. The deployment of NuScale’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-approved design will support meeting the demands of Grant PUD’s customers and the desired commercial operation timeline with acceptable and affordable cost certainty.

Built upon existing light-water nuclear reactor technology, NuScale’s game-changing small modular reactors (SMRs) design is second-to-none in safety performance, power generation flexibility, and overall performance. Presented during the U.S. NRC Design Certification process, NuScale’s plant design demonstrated its Triple Crown For Nuclear Plant Safety™, meaning reactors will safely shut down and self-cool indefinitely with no need for operator or computer action, AC or DC power, or the addition of water. NuScale’s power plant design is scalable in 77 megawatts electric (MWe) increments up to 924 megawatts (MWe). Modules can be added incrementally as regional load demands increase, offering the customer a new level of flexibility and reduced financial risk. This flexibility also allows for seamless integration with intermittent sources of power utilizing exceptional load following capabilities. These qualities align well with Grant PUD’s long-term objective of providing its customers with reliable, carbon-free energy and are a driving force in the initiation of the due diligence process in order to investigate the applicability of the NuScale technology in Central Washington.

About NuScale Power

NuScale Power has developed a new modular light water reactor nuclear power plant to supply energy for electrical generation, district heating, desalination, and other process heat applications. This groundbreaking small modular reactor (SMR) design features a fully factory-fabricated NuScale Power Module™ capable of generating 77 MW of electricity using a safer, smaller, and scalable version of pressurized water reactor technology. NuScale's scalable design—power plants that can house up to four, six, or 12 individual power modules—offers the benefits of carbon-free energy and reduces the financial commitments associated with gigawatt-sized nuclear facilities. The majority investor in NuScale is Fluor Corporation, a global engineering, procurement, and construction company with a 60-year history in commercial nuclear power.

NuScale is headquartered in Portland, OR and has offices in Corvallis, OR; Rockville, MD; Charlotte, NC; Richland, WA; and London, UK. Follow us on Twitter: @NuScale_Power, Facebook: NuScale Power, LLC, LinkedIn: NuScale-Power, and Instagram: nuscale_power. NuScale has a new logo, brand, and website. Watch the short video.

About Grant County PUD

Established by local residents over 80 years ago and based in Ephrata, Washington, Grant PUD generates and delivers energy to millions of customers throughout the Pacific Northwest, and serves more than 40,000 retail power customers in Grant County. For more information visit www.grantpud.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.