The political dust-up in Gillette over a nondisclosure agreement with nuclear company BWXT represents the latest flashpoint in a series of local showdowns involving residents, elected officials and companies looking to expand Wyoming's nuclear industry.
From Bar Nunn to Rock Springs to Gillette — nicknamed the Energy Capital of the Nation — Wyoming communities are grappling with the promises and perceived perils of a nuclear renaissance.
Two key players have emerged in this nuclear expansion: Radiant, which aspires to open a microreactor manufacturing plant in Bar Nunn, and BWXT, which entered into a controversial nondisclosure agreement with the city of Gillette.
During a heated city council meeting in Gillette on Aug. 19, state Sen. Troy McKeown, R-Gillette, launched a scathing attack on Mayor Shay Lundvall and council members, accusing them of violating the public's trust by conducting nuclear negotiations in secret.
"I'm really disgruntled that y'all think you can sign a nondisclosure agreement, violate the state public records act," McKeown said during his testimony. "You're doing this all in a back room. And I'm referring to the nuclear companies you want to bring in and the stuff you want to do with that in secret."
The senator questioned the priorities of city officials, wondering if they were putting industry ambitions ahead of the public's interest.
"You're not a corporate headquarters. You don't run a business. You think you do evidently where you can do whatever you want behind closed doors and not tell anybody," he said.
Reacting To Reactor
A cooperation agreement signed between Gillette and BWXT Advanced Technologies in January 2024 outlined an exploration of nuclear industry options for the city.
It detailed a plan to "investigate the supply chain opportunities available to the ‘city' and evaluate the potential for BWXT to locate facilities related to its BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor" in Gillette.
The agreement specifically mentions BWXT's proposed reactor that would "produce an estimated 50 MW thermal of heat" and could be integrated into cogeneration sets to provide both heat and electricity to power industrial activities in the city.
McKeown's frustration boiled over as he questioned the fundamental nature of agreements between public entities and private companies when they are not disclosed to the public.
"I can't believe that an elected official would ever sign a non-disclosure agreement because all he's telling everybody and anybody who's signed it is that the business is more important than the people and the people shouldn't know what's going on," he said.
In a follow-up interview, McKeown said he had consulted with lawyers before making his public comments to ensure he was correct about the legal issues involved.
He emphasized that his concern centers on the scope of the non-disclosure agreement.
"You can't sign an NDA in my opinion and not tell anybody what the overall plan is. And the companies you're working with," McKeown told Cowboy State Daily. “So, NDAs are appropriate to protect a company's interests, but not at the expense of the public knowing who the city's dealing with."
The senator said his broader concern is about nuclear waste storage, citing a 2015 map that identified Wyoming's Powder River Basin as a potential storage site.
"What's the plan to store it and is it safe?" McKeown asked, restating his commitment to, “Not turn Wyoming into a nuclear wasteland."
Mayor Fires Back
Mayor Lundvall defended the city's approach in a Facebook statement posted Aug. 21, emphasizing economic development goals while addressing waste storage concerns.
"Since taking office, I have been very open about my commitment to economic development and business diversification for Gillette," Lundvall wrote. "Over the past couple of years, I have been actively involved in working to recruit businesses that would bring good jobs to our community. These efforts have spanned multiple industries, including nuclear manufacturing."
The mayor sought to assuage fears about nuclear waste: "I want to be clear that I have no desire for our community to store spent nuclear fuel waste. Other council members share this desire."
Lundvall underlined the potential for coexistence between traditional and nuclear energy sectors: "I truly believe that our legacy industries and nuclear development can successfully coexist and grow together. Doing so will make our community stronger and more resilient and our nation's domestic energy sources even more secure."
In a follow up interview with Cowboy State Daily, the mayor also announced plans for public education seminars with nuclear industry experts to address community questions, with the first session planned within the next month.
"I think that there's a lot of opportunity. I am one of those opportunists and capitalists that I think leveraging Wyoming's existing workforce and manufacturing capabilities and what that looks like going forward is tremendous growth opportunities all across the state," Lundvall said.
The mayor stressed that the city's role is simply to present Gillette as an attractive business location.
"I raised my hand to say, ‘Hey, look, BWXT, Gillette has all of the infrastructure you need. We have a great community. We have a great health care system, education system. We want you here.’ That's what I did,” he explained.
Lundvall said he wants to position Gillette to "weather boom and bust cycles a lot more efficiently than in previous decades" by diversifying the local economy while supporting traditional energy industries.
Regarding future nondisclosure agreements, Lundvall said the decision isn't up to the city.
"That's a company decision. That's not a city decision because they might have proprietary information. You don't want your competitors knowing exactly what you’re doing," he said.
Promised Land?
For some in the industry, Wyoming represents an ideal location for nuclear expansion.
The Wyoming Energy Authority's (WEA) 2024 cooperation agreement with BWXT highlights the state's advantages for nuclear fuel fabrication.
"Wyoming has the largest known uranium reserves in the United States and a mature uranium mining industry that is primed for advancement," the July 2024 press release stated. The agreement evaluates "the requirements for siting a TRISO nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Wyoming" over an 18-month period.
At the time, Gov. Mark Gordon expressed enthusiasm about the nuclear potential: "As part of our all-of-the-above energy strategy, the possibility of a nuclear fuel fabrication facility here in Wyoming is exciting. Wyoming has it all.
"Nuclear has been a stalwart in our energy portfolio, and like coal, can start with raw materials mined in Wyoming, processed in Wyoming, and used in Wyoming. A true trifecta."
Sean Schaub, the WEA's nuclear industry coordinator, acknowledged that the community reactions seen in Gillette reflect broader challenges facing the state.
"Some of these technologies are just in general somewhat new to the state of Wyoming," Schaub said. "So we just have a lot of education and dialogue that we have to have. So I think this is all kind of part of it."
BWXT defended its use of non-disclosure agreements as standard industry practice necessary for legal compliance and competitive protection.
"BWXT does sign NDAs with various federal, state, local, and commercial entities prior to conducting business. One critical reason NDAs are required prior to sharing information in our industry is to ensure compliance with U.S. export control laws that prohibit public release of certain nuclear technologies. Additionally, we work with government entities to ensure that NDAs comply with state laws such as the Wyoming public records act," BWXT spokesperson John Dobken told Cowboy State Daily.
Why Wyoming
Rita Baranwal, chief nuclear officer at Radiant, continues to think there’s a lot to like about Wyoming.
"What is attractive about the county and the state of Wyoming to Radiant is that high energy IQ workforce," Baranwal said. "Wyoming has always been a leader in the energy sector. We want it to also be a leader in the advanced nuclear energy sector."
Radiant has committed to using uranium mined in Wyoming to create the fuel it needs to power future microreactors.
"We want to continue the fuel cycle and the development process in the state, keep that energy savvy talent in the state and, frankly, keep families that have kids as they go through high school and are looking for opportunities for their next step in life to stay in the state of Wyoming and have very good paying jobs," Baranwal explained.
The company recently touted a couple of milestones, including signing the first Department of Energy contract for High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel and securing a preorder agreement with Equinix for 20 Kaleidos microreactors.
Radiant is scheduled to test its reactor design at Idaho National Laboratory's DOME facility next spring, marking the first test of a new American nuclear reactor design there in almost 50 years.
"This agreement means the HALEU fuel can now officially be transferred, which keeps us on schedule to begin testing our Kaleidos Demonstration Unit at the DOME facility next year," Baranwal said. "It also keeps the country on track to deliver on the President's four executive orders signed in May to unleash America's energy independence and innovation."
Waste Dilemma
Despite industry optimism, the specter of nuclear waste continues to haunt expansion efforts and present political headwinds. McKeown voiced concerns that resonate across Wyoming communities.
"Nobody wants this nuclear stuff right now," McKeown said during his testimony. "Yes, we did pass state legislation to allow temporary storage in Campbell County. But there's no national repository. None. And they want to bring all the garbage from around the country into this state and we're going to collect money off that?"
The senator painted a dire picture of the long-term consequences: "I'll be long gone before the damages happen. Probably y'all will be too, but my grandkids and my great grandkids will be here to drink polluted water, a screwed up mess for the environment."
However, Baranwal pointed to potential solutions emerging from the Trump administration's executive orders on nuclear policy.
"I think in the next couple of months we expect to see some outputs from this administration's executive orders around used fuel and waste and siting," Baranwal told Cowboy State Daily.
One of Trump's executive orders specifically addresses waste management, directing the Secretary of Energy to prepare "a recommended national policy to support the management of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste and the development and deployment of advanced fuel cycle capabilities to establish a safe, secure, and sustainable long-term fuel cycle."
The order calls for "recommendations for the efficient disposal of the wastes generated by recycling or reprocessing through a permanent disposal pathway" and emphasizes recycling and reprocessing as alternatives to traditional waste storage.
As Baranwal noted, "The president is moving with a sense of urgency on this topic. And that is absolutely what the industry needs to continue to move forward and deploy new technology."
David Madison can be reached at david@cowboystatedaily.com.
