With power demand exploding in Texas due to the state's rapidly growing population and the expansion of AI technology and data centers, the state appears ready to embrace a new, old friend: nuclear. Texas A&M has announced plans to develop multiple small, modular nuclear reactors at its research campus in Bryan. The move follows a recent report by the Texas Public Utilities Commission calling for an expansion of nuclear energy in Texas.
Texas has embraced so-called "renewables" like wind and solar in recent years, with middling results. An overreliance on wind and solar was partially blamed for the grid failure during Winter Storm Uri in 2021. At the same time, the state has been slower to expand nuclear power. "Highly variable sources like wind and solar are paid the same market price as nuclear," says Brent Bennett, energy expert with the Texas Public Policy Foundation. "Go ask anyone who operates a nuclear or coal plant in Texas that operates 24-7, and they'll tell you their energy is not being properly valued, and there's no way they could finance a new plant in this market environment."
ERCOT has touted increased battery technology with stabilizing the Texas grid since 2021, but Bennett believes there are better ways to do it. "Batteries are a solution to some extent, but an expensive solution," he tells KTRH. "Ultimately, it's driving up the cost of power for Texans, and it would be a lot less expensive if going forward we could build more combined cycle gas plants and then hopefully in the future, nuclear."
Ultimately, this Texas A&M project could signal a sea change for the use of nuclear power in Texas. "The political winds are already shifting, but I think we'll really see a shift as more people understand how safe these new technologies really are," says Bennett. "And these research projects will demonstrate that."
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