Last year the state Legislature passed Senate Bill 130, which required the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to conduct a Nuclear Energy Feasibility Study assessing the feasibility of establishing nuclear energy generation in Oklahoma.
The legislation also identified a series of topics to be addressed as part of the study. In further support of this effort, the OCC, as provided for in the legislation, opened a Notice of Inquiry seeking input from stakeholders on the question of nuclear energy feasibility in Oklahoma and related topics specified by the Legislature.
To conduct this study, the OCC partnered with Oklahoma State University’s Hamm Institute for American Energy to organize a working group consisting of individuals with deep technical knowledge and experience from a wide range of entities with interests related to nuclear energy.
Founded in 2022 through $50 million in combined donations from the Harold Hamm Foundation and the oilman’s Continental Resources energy company, the mission of the Oklahoma City-based Institute is to advance dispatchable, reliable, and affordable energy that supports U.S. economic growth, national security, and global stability.
Also consistent with the legislation, the OCC engaged a consultant, Enercon Services Inc., to develop the study from the information collected through the working group as well as to contribute their significant expertise in the nuclear space.
The Corporation Commission collected substantial details on nuclear power, including reactor technologies and their differences, related costs and development timelines, site selection considerations, and issues such as water sources, safety, and environmental and ecological considerations.
Public perceptions of nuclear power were considered and analyzed. Economic impacts, workforce development, various policy considerations, and activities in other states were assessed. The financial challenges of nuclear development, with its significant upfront costs relative to other generation technologies, were discussed, along with potential funding options.
“It should be emphasized that, without proactive state and federal policy, the cost of nuclear generation relative to alternatives poses a significant obstacle to development,” the OCC noted.
To the extent that state policymakers seek further action to investigate the development of nuclear generation in Oklahoma, a key next step would be the establishment of an ongoing authority, task force, state office, or other coordinating entity tasked with developing a strategic plan for nuclear generation deployment in Oklahoma.
Such a coordinating entity could focus on defining the components necessary to attract, encourage, and support nuclear energy generation in the state. This coordinating entity could bring together Oklahoma stakeholders with demonstrated expertise in nuclear energy development as well as energy policy makers and liaisons from relevant government agencies. Further, this entity could organize subgroups to address critical issues.
Topics addressed during the study were:
• Advantages and disadvantages of generating nuclear energy in Oklahoma, including economic and environmental impacts.
• Methods to maximize existing workforce and products made in this state for the construction of nuclear energy generation facilities.
• Environmental and ecological impacts.
• Land and siting criteria, including specific geographic areas that are best suited for nuclear generation, as well as cities near military bases [such as Fort Sill Army post and Altus Air Force Base] that may use nuclear electric generation to meet energy-resilience requirements.
• Safety criteria for advanced nuclear reactors.
• Capability of small modular nuclear reactors and microreactors.
• Workforce education, training and development.
• Supply chain capability.
The Corporation Commission study concluded that while no apparent technical barriers could prevent development of nuclear energy in Oklahoma, there are challenges, including timelines, financing considerations, policy determinations, economic impacts, and public perception.
The study found that developing nuclear energy generation in Oklahoma is technically feasible but recognized several areas of policy that would need to be proactively addressed by state leaders for nuclear development to be realized, particularly costs relative to alternative generation sources.