COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Editor's Note: The attached video aired in February 2023.
New plans have been laid out to bring new technology to Bryan-College Station for the advancement of science and to fulfill a need for more energy sources in the area.
Texas A&M University System leadership announced Wednesday that they would be looking to bring nuclear reactors to the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus in Bryan for academic and research purposes, as well as to provide more power for the energy grid.
“As Texas continues to grow, it is critical that we add more reliable, dispatchable power for all Texans,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “Texas A&M’s announcement to bring advanced nuclear technologies to its RELLIS campus is essential for Texas to expand our nuclear power capabilities that will help bolster our electric grid. Nuclear energy will continue to play an integral role in Texas so we can continue to meet the energy needs of our great state for generations to come.”
The announcement presents many opportunities not for just nuclear energy-focused companies, but also everyday consumers that have an impact on the Texas energy grid. Before the project reaches the finish line though, information and proposals will be reviewed by the A&M System prior to the finished product being unveiled for the public.
"We at the Texas A&M University System understand the global need for more power," Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said. "And we are positioned to bolster our grid and to provide the power for the latest technologies. We believe that nuclear power is the only solution to provide quick, clean, carbon-free and reliable energy to prevent blackouts and to foster innovation."
The next generation nuclear reactors have a power capacity that ranges from 10 megawatts to one gigawatt.
“This effort at Texas A&M-RELLIS will usher in a new era of sustainable and reliable power generation,” Sharp said.
According to Wednesday's announcement, the reactors are projected to be up and running in the next five to seven years.