Idaho Falls expands its SMR interest

The Idaho Falls City Council has approved an agreement that will ultimately increase Idaho Falls Power’s share of the Small Modular Reactor project’s electricity production. The project is to be built on the Idaho National Laboratory site.

The “Joint Use Module Plant (JUMP) Lay-Off Power Sales Agreement” would increase the city’s entitlement share of the power production by 4,815 kilowatts.

The power would come from the Department of Energy’s modules after its research mission on the project is complete. Mayor Rebecca Casper said the SMR project is expected to come online in 2026 and the new entitlement share would be available about 15 years after that.

The city council determined the deal was an appropriate addition of carbon-free electricity. It will help meet projected electricity demand at a point in the future when the city outgrows the maximum capacity of its current resources.