The last public meeting for Wise County’s microreactor feasibility study will be held on Thursday.
The meeting, at 6 p.m. at The Inn at Wise, will review the results of the community feedback portion of the study as well as a “high level outline” of the final report, said Brian Falin, director of the county’s industrial development authority. The report is planned for release in mid-December.
The study, funded by a $100,000 grant from the Go Virginia Region 1 Council and led by the Virginia Innovative Nuclear, or VIN, Hub, started early this year and looks at the feasibility of building microreactors in Wise County. Microreactors are compact nuclear reactors that could produce up to 20 megawatts of thermal energy. While several companies are developing designs for them, none have been built in the U.S.
The study also looks at small modular reactors along with other types of energy generation, Falin said. Then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in October 2022 that he wanted to bring the nation’s first SMR to the coalfields, but he reversed course in 2024, when he said that they were better suited elsewhere.
So far with the study, there have been two public meetings and two rounds of surveys, which brought almost 500 responses, Falin said. Safety, public health and environmental concerns have emerged as main themes from the engagement up to this point, he said, particularly when it comes to the handling of nuclear waste. Job creation has been another focus, he added.
The meeting will be centered on a presentation by the VIN Hub, and it will also act as a round of public comment that will be factored into the final report.
While the study is speculative and there are no active projects, Falin said the hope is that the report gives Wise County a tool it can refer to in future decision-making. Thomas Lawson, a regional planner at LENOWISCO Planning District Commission, told Cardinal News the study weighs several factors, including the demand for power, considerations for siting them and community impacts.
While much of energy generation in the coalfields still comes from fossil fuels, like coal and natural gas, localities are looking toward opportunities for renewable energy, Falin said. But he added that a study like this helps determine if the area will be conducive to supplying the hardware and manufacturing necessary to meet the demand.
“I think as things start to shift in Virginia to more renewable energy and clean energy policies, that’s driving the industry to look at that too,” Falin said.
