The Commissioner says his time for Texas for advanced nuclear energy – coverkaty.com

Weston Lakes, Texas (covering Katy News) – Commissioner of Fort Band County, who has served the Governor Greg Abbot’s nuclear consultative group, says Texas must quickly develop advanced nuclear technology to prevent widespread deficiency.

Fort Band 3 County Commissioner Andy Meyars told Rotary Club on the Brazos River on Friday that Texas faces unprecedented growth of electricity needs, with ERCOT designing energy demand to “double up to 2030 and to double again until 2050 “

Nuclear leadership competition

The state is currently ranked Six or Seventh in advanced nuclear development, Myers said, but he noted that the Abbot government wants to change this. The governor’s vision extends beyond development, striving to turn Texas “Supplier for the production of small modular advanced reactors, not only for Texas, not for the United States, but also globally.”

Myers noted that China had already connected a “high -temperature gas propagation reactor” to their electrical network.

A multi -billion -dollar investment is required

Since January 2025, Texas has had a budget surplus of nearly $ 24 billion. This surplus was left with the previous budget cycle and was available to legislators to spend on priorities in policy. Myers believes that now is the time to invest in advanced nuclear energy and production. He believes that if the state invests in this new technology, it will attract additional investment in the private sector.

“Texas can skip all these other countries if it decides to put a lot of skin in the game,” Myers said, offering a state investment between $ 2-5 billion for a four-year period.

Benefits for advanced technology

The new technology offers significant advantages over traditional nuclear power plants. Extended reactors can operate at 700 to 1000 degrees in the center compared to 320 degrees in current facilities, generating “two to three times more heat,” Mayaers explained. This higher temperature makes it possible for many applications outside the electricity production, including the desalination of water and the production of medical isotopes used to treat cancer and are deficient in the United States.

Improve Fort Band Air Quality Problems

Myers noted that the Fort Band County is currently in the non -activation status under the Clean Air Act partly due to the parish plant emissions that burns coal and natural gas. He noted that advanced nuclear energy is a pure alternative without carbon emissions.

Solve the challenge of nuclear waste

Technology can also cope with the increasing challenges of storing nuclear waste in Texas. The state currently stores “about 3000 tonnes of nuclear waste” from its two nuclear power plants. Myers said the new melted salt reactors can “burn 95% of these waste”, with the remaining 5% having radioactivity for 200 years instead of tens of thousands of years.

Meeting the requirements of the technology industry

Pressing to advanced nuclear comes as Texas struggles to meet the growing energy requirements of technology companies interested in the creation of data centers throughout the country. Data centers use a huge amount of power. Myers warned that there are currently no electrically generating capacity to power all planned facilities in the President’s new Stargate program.

Recommendations for a working group

The ABBOTT advanced nuclear reactors of 17 Texas nuclear nuclear reactors have recommended to create several new entities, including Texas advanced nuclear body and the development of workforce programs through colleges and universities in the community that will create additional jobs.

Time line and next steps

While some developers claim that they will have a ready -made technology by 2027, Meyers estimates that the trade viability “probably looks at at least five to six years”.

Meanwhile, Texas University A&M is moving forward with advanced nuclear development plans in its Rellis campus, partnering with four companies, including Natura Resources by Abilene.

A bill that includes the recommendations of the working group will be considered by the Texas legislation, although the specific levels of funding have not been determined.

Growth vision

The initiative is aligned with the wider economic vision of Abbott for the expansion of the “eighth of the eighth largest to the fifth largest,” said Mayers, with advanced nuclear, which serves as a “one of the engines” that power this growth S

The author of this article and owner of Covering Katy News, Dennis Stelman, is also a member of the officers of the Fort Band 3 County Commissioner.