There’s been no word as of yet as to where Terrapower’s new natrium reactor project will land in Kansas, but the possibility of housing the project has generated a lot of interest across the state in recent months.
In his regular report to the Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas Board of Directors on Friday morning, Interim RDA President Lyle Butler stated that Lyon County is just one of a handful of counties that have made their intentions known for housing the reactor. The list now also includes Greenwood County in the KVOE listening area, as well as Johnson and Jackson counties.
Comparatively, Lyon County is one of the larger counties to have expressed interest in the project, with an estimated population of just over 32,000 residents according to recent census data, trailing only Johnson County with an estimated population of more than 600,000. While Lyon may be second in population count of the aforementioned communities, Butler says it was the first to go after the project.
At this time, Butler says there have been no “rumblings” as to where Terrapower and Evergy may be leaning when it comes to reactor placement, but he does expect word could be coming at any time.
Efforts to attract the reactor project to Lyon County also come as the community has had several significant business closures in recent months, including Hopkins in Emporia and ABZ Valve in Madison. KVOE News asked Butler how crucial a project such as this could be for the community in terms of growing employment at a time where many workers are available.
Butler says looking at the project and its scale, there is a great potential for both short and longterm job creation if it were to come to the local area.
The discussions also come as the community is in the process of establishing a new economic development entity, the Flint Hills Economic Alliance, which is seeking to bring all economic arms of the community under a single umbrella. That process is still in development, with RDA membership noting there are a lot of questions and details needing to be finalized before the FHEA is ready to roll out.
On top of this, the RDA is still without a permanent leader following a better than two-year search, with efforts now shifting towards finding a CEO for the FHEA. With all of this in mind, KVOE News again asked Butler if this could be concerning to Terrapower, as there is no solidified leader at the head of one of the main economic branches of the community.
Butler says the RDA’s recent move to add Brad Kradt as the RDA’s Interim Vice-President this past Friday was an answer to those concerns.
KVOE News then asked if having interim leaders as opposed to a permanent president or leader in place would be enough to build confidence in businesses such as Terrapower to want to bring such a major project to the community.
Butler says he believes his experience in development and Brad Kraft’s knowledge and standing in the community send a strong message. On top of that, Butler claims it is not solely on the RDA to provide assured confidence for busineeses looking to come to the community, noting the presence of Emporia State University, Flint Hills Technical College, the City of Emporia and Lyon County also provides the stability businesses are looking for adding “As long is there is a plan forward, I think that is the key.”
If you recall, late last year, TerraPower and Evergy signed a memorandum of understanding that also included the Kansas Department of Commerce regarding the potential to house a new sodium reactor in Kansas. Shortly after this news broke, Lyon County, the Regional Development of East Central Kansas, and the City of Emporia all signed letters of support to bring the project to Lyon County. Coffey County Commissioners would follow suit, vocalizing their desire to see the project brought to Coffey County, which has housed Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Station for the last 40 years.
