Feds: Washington nuclear operator to develop new plants – Idaho Business Review

Feds: Washington nuclear operator to develop new plants – Idaho Business Review: SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The federal government has chosen the operator of a nuclear power plant near Richland to help develop the next generation of nuclear energy facilities, raising the possibility of a new reactor in central Washington state. The U.S. Department of Energy last week announced that Energy Northwest, which operates the only nuclear power plant in the Northwest, will be part of a team developing the next generation of nuclear energy plants. The announcement prompted Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, who represents the area in Congress, to applaud the recipients of Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program funds. "The selection of these projects is an absolute game-changer for our state and makes it official: Tri-Cities, Washington is a global leader in nuclear energy innovation," Newhouse said. However, a spokesman for Energy Northwest warned that the decision on where to build new commercial nuclear power plants is years away. "There are no plans currently to site anything