A federal appropriations package recently signed into law includes funding for two nuclear power research projects with connections to Southwest Virginia.
The Wise-based Energy DELTA Lab will receive about $1.4 million under the bill that became law last week, according to U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem.
“With this federal funding available to Energy DELTA Lab, Southwest Virginia community access to potential nuclear energy solutions will improve,” Griffith said in a Wednesday news release.
The Energy DELTA Lab has a goal of using former coal mining sites in Southwest Virginia to develop new energy resources.
Will Clear, managing partner of Virginia Energy Strategies and advisor to Energy DELTA Lab, said in a statement that the congressionally funded initiative is to evaluate whether water in mining cavities could cool advanced nuclear reactors.
The work would look at minimizing environmental impacts and also evaluating how much water and what quality of what such nuclear technology would require, Clear said.
“Any rigorous study of the region’s water assets is valuable, especially because this naturally replenishing resource remains underutilized,” Clear said. “Over the long term, this work can help strengthen Southwest Virginia’s future by expanding the region’s options for durable private investment and tax base growth that supports core local services, including education, public safety and social services.”
The appropriations package also includes $1 million to Virginia Tech to research nuclear reactor safety, Griffith said.