JACKSON COUNTY (KSNT) – Jackson County leaders are working to coax an energy company into building a nuclear reactor in the local area.
Jackson County commissioners approved of a resolution and letter of intent last year in November in a bid to bring a new nuclear reactor into the county. Commissioners threw their hat into the contested race in an effort to add the new power generation facility to the county and provide an economic boost to the area.
“We’re 100% behind this,” said Jackson County Commissioner Mark Pruett.
Pruett said the resolution passed in 2025 shows the county is in support of the project. He said letters were also sent to the Kansas Department of Commerce and Evergy to show Jackson County is open to the idea of adding the nuclear power plant to its land.
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Energy company TerraPower announced last year its intent to bring a natrium reactor and energy storage system to Evergy’s service territory in Kansas. TerraPower said it will be considering potential sites based on an evaluation of several factors such as community support, physical characteristics of the site, access to existing infrastructure and the ability of the site to get a license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Pruett said there are several things that put Jackson County in a good position to bring the reactor into the area. He said that access to nearby workforce resources, such as the Manhattan Area Technical College, and familiarity with local labor unions make the county an ideal place for TerraPower to consider investing in.
Pruett also cited the existing transmission lines at the Jeffrey Energy Center as being another boon for the potential nuclear project. He said a potential site being considered for the nuclear power facility is in the southwestern area of Jackson County.
“I think that it would be a boon for the county,” Pruett said. “I think it would be a great thing.”
Matt DeVader, a local resident in Jackson County, said he is not entirely opposed to bringing a nuclear power plant to the county. He said he hopes that if the project does get the green light, it will result in an economic benefit for local residents.
“Well I’m not… I’m not necessarily in opposition to a natrium plant coming, or a nuclear power plant coming to Jackson County,” DeVader said. “Particularly, I don’t want there to be one just because hey, we… you know, we’re going to get a nuclear power plant, yay this is great, I think it’s super important that if we get this nuclear power plant, that it’s something that maybe it’s franchised or in some other way there’s some tax benefit directly to the property owners. Our property taxes are just outrageous in our county and in Kansas alone.”
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Jackson County is also trying to bring a major solar facility, dubbed Jeffrey Solar, into the area, which has received some pushback from locals. Pruett said this solar facility is still in the works, but the commission has yet to pass any official regulations on it yet.
DeVader said the proposed nuclear power plant would be better for the county rather than the solar facility. He said the nuclear plant would take up less land and have a smaller footprint on the county.
“I think that the nuclear power plant does come with risks and dangers for sure, but, overall, I think some of the risks are mitigated,” DeVader said.
Pruett said he thinks TerraPower should reach out soon to Jackson County regarding whether or not it is considering moving into the county.
“We look forward to working with TerraPower, Evergy and the Kansas Department of Commerce to bring this to fruition in the county,” Pruett said.
Other counties, such as Lyon and Coffey Counties, are also trying to bring the new natrium reactor to their respective areas in Kansas. The Sunflower State currently has only one nuclear reactor in operation in Coffey County at the Wolf Creek facility.
TerraPower’s natrium technology includes a 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system, according to a 2025 press release. The storage system can increase the system’s output to 500 MW of power when necessary as it is designed to keep base output steady to ensure constant reliability while also have teh capability to ramp up when demand rises.
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