From left, Brian Smith, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Director of the Division of New and
Renewed Licenses; Karin Feldman, NuScale Power Vice President of Program Management Office;
Mason Baker, UAMPS CEO and General Manager; Robert Taylor, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Deputy Office Director for New Reactors; Carrie Fosaaen, NuScale Power Vice President of Regulatory
Affairs. Courtesy/CFPP
CFPP News:
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – CFPP LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS), has taken a significant step towards the realization of the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP).
On Monday, CFPP LLC submitted an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a Limited Work Authorization (LWA), seeking approval to commence early construction activities for the CFPP prior to issuance of the Combined License (COL). When approved, the LWA will pave the way for the initiation of early-scope construction which is expected to start mid-2025.
CFPP LLC submitted the LWA application as the first part of the CFPP Combined License application (COLA). This is the first instance under the current LWA regulations where a standalone LWA application was submitted in advance of the remainder of the COLA. The second part of the CFPP COLA remains on schedule to be submitted to the NRC in January 2024.
“The submittal of the LWA application is an imperative step in maintaining the project’s schedule for an end-of-year 2029 commercial operation date,” CFPP LLC President Mason Baker. “Commencing with construction activities allows for progress to continue on the CFPP site prior to the full authorization granted in the COL. It also marks a significant milestone as a major CFPP submittal to the NRC, and more broadly, the first application to the NRC for construction of a full-scale, commercial SMR.”
(Note: Los Alamos County is a partner in the CFPP, which is spearheaded by the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS). This consortium of 50 public power utilities has 27 that plan to implement NuScale VOYGR power plants, which utilize small modular reactor (SMR) technology, to power communities in eight western states. The project is expected to bring fully operational nuclear-powered generation to those communities by the end of the decade. Los Alamos County, through DPU, is the only community in New Mexico that has thus far joined the CFPP. Los Alamos is subscribed for 8.6 megawatts of nuclear-generated power with an anticipated cost of $89/MW in 2022 dollars. This subscription will help DPU achieve its goal to be a net carbon neutral electric provider by 2040.)
CFPP COLA work began in August 2021, when CFPP LLC enlisted the expertise of Fluor Corporation and a dedicated team from NuScale to prepare a COLA for submission to the NRC. The COLA will seek a license to construct and operate a nuclear power plant comprising six small modular reactors (SMRs) and associated common facilities, collectively known as the Carbon Free Power Project. The CFPP will utilize NuScale Power’s VOYGR™-6 SMR power plant design. NuScale’s Standard Design Approval (SDA) application, which has been submitted to the NRC, is based on a VOYGR power plant design featuring six 77 MWe NuScale Power Modules™.
The CFPP is proposed to be sited within the southwest region of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in southeast Idaho. The INL site, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facility, covers an expansive area of approximately 890 square miles and is situated near Idaho Falls, Idaho.
In addition to seeking NRC authorization for the CFPP, CFPP LLC is also coordinating with the DOE for the needed approvals as part of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which will be completed prior to commencement of these early construction activities. CFPP LLC’s LWA application marks a significant milestone in the development of the CFPP. With the potential to revolutionize the energy landscape, the CFPP aims to contribute to a sustainable and carbon-free future. As CFPP LLC progresses through the regulatory process, it remains committed to adhering to the highest standards of safety, efficiency, and environmental stewardship.
About CFPP LLC:
The CFPP LLC is a not-for-profit organization which was formed as a limited liability company on September 16, 2020, by the filing a Certificate of Organization with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code of the Department of Commerce of the State of Utah pursuant to and in accordance with the Utah Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, Title 48, Chapter 3a, Utah Code Annotated 1953, as amended from time to time (the “Act”). Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS), a political subdivision of the State of Utah, is the sole Member of the CFPP LLC.
About UAMPS:
Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems is an energy services interlocal agency of the State of Utah, established in 1980. As a project-based consortium, UAMPS provides a variety of power supply, transmission, and other services to its 50 members serving 395,600 customers in seven western states: Utah, Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Wyoming.