Department of Energy announcement for Idaho National Lab land use

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - The Biden Administration recently designated a tech hub in Idaho and Wyoming to advance nuclear manufacturing and promote clean energy.

On the heels of that, there's another big announcement about Idaho's energy future from the Department of Energy.

The DOE is considering leasing land on the 890-square-mile Idaho National Lab Site to industry partners that are interested in developing carbon-free energy projects.

Dr. Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy and Dr. John Wagner, Director of the INL, discussed the possibilities at a panel in Idaho Falls today.

Dr. Wagner says there's a variety of different ways the INL can work for private industry.

"It all starts with what's in the best interest of the partner and trying to work with them, and then how does that play with our interests in terms of [what we're] trying to accomplish?" Dr. Wagner said.

Dr. Huff said the land that would be used for projects also answered questions at a press conference, including the amount of jobs the partnerships could bring into the area.

"Gosh, how many jobs could it bring? I would love to know that. I'm not sure that we asked it in the RFP, but I think it will be very interesting to see what kinds of projects we see in this," Dr. Huff said. "And of course, our desire in this administration is to see as many jobs as possible."

Dr Huff indicated the approval process for projects would be about one year, and that the Department hopes to engage with applicants soon.

The Department of Energy has released a Request For Information (RFI) to identify potential industry partners. The RFI is open to industry, government, Tribes, and community members who wish to comment on the potential use of INL land for carbon-free electricity projects. Comments need to be submitted no later than 5 p.m. Mountain Time on Dec. 15, 2023.

More information can be found here.