TerraPower has begun construction on its Natrium nuclear plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, marking the first U.S. advanced nuclear facility to break ground. The 345‑megawatt reactor is expected to provide baseload power for data centers and grid stability. The U.S. nuclear sector has rebounded after decades of stagnation, driven by tech giants seeking reliable power for data centers and rising demand across commercial, residential and industrial sectors. TerraPower is building a 345‑megawatt sodium‑cooled fast reactor paired with a molten‑salt thermal storage system that can boost output to 500 megawatts for more than five hours. The project was estimated in 2021 at $4 billion, and no updated figures have been released. Roughly 1,600 workers will be hired during construction, with about 250 full‑time staff once the facility is operational. The reactor is slated to begin splitting atoms by the end of 2030, and the company claims it can compress construction timelines to just three years. Chris Levesque, CEO of TerraPower , said the moment is a milestone for the industry, noting that the project is being built without burdening ratepayers thanks to private investments from Bill Gates and others and a $2 billion federal grant. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon remarked that the start of construction marks a major milestone for Wyoming and the future of American energy. Meta has signed a deal to build up to eight Natrium reactors, with the first two targeted to come online by 2032 and the full order potentially operational by 2035. If TerraPower can deliver the 345‑MW reactor on schedule, it could set a new benchmark for construction speed and cost, potentially enabling a broader rollout of Natrium reactors across the U.S. and supporting the growing data‑center and grid‑stability markets.