Bill Gates Zeroes In On West Virginia As He Attempts To Reboot US Nuclear Power

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is reportedly eyeing West Virginia for expanding his efforts on the development of nuclear energy technology in the U.S.

What Happened: Gates visited a closed-down coal-fired plant of American Electric Power in Glasgow, West Virginia, on Monday and called the state’s legislature’s decision last year to repeal the ban on nuclear power “quite impressive,” reported Associated Press.

The billionaire philanthropist said he’s looking to expand his nuclear energy efforts to the east coast, according to the report.

See Also: Microsoft Said To Be Discussing $10B Investment In ChatGPT Owner As Part Of Complex Deal

Gates reportedly said that he needs to ascertain how the Natrium nuclear reactor in Wyoming performs before he makes new commitments.

Why It's Important: The new law passed by West Virginia has led to the possibility of discussions with American Electric Power during the last months, said Gates.

“Really, I think six months ago we really weren’t on their radar much at all, nuclear wasn’t, but the Legislature did say, ‘Okay, we’re open-minded to nuclear’ and that was quite impressive,” said Gates on American Electric Power, according to Associated Press.

Gates is the founder of TerraPower — the company that is building the Wyoming-based demonstration reactor. However, that project has been delayed due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The project, slated to begin operations in 2028, is facing difficulties due to the fact that the company supplying the fuel for the reactor is Russian.