A power company and federal regulators are distancing themselves from a recently unveiled proposal for a nuclear reactor in Butte.
The proposal came from Anaconda resident and XGen Holdings president Christian Barlow during a Butte-Silver Bow council meeting last week.
Barlow told commissioners he plans to purchase land west of Butte and construct manufacturing facilities for components in high-tech air filters and night-vision goggles. He said part of that plan involves generating power from small nuclear reactors.
“Our intent — and, we’ve already talked with the NRC, which is the federal regulation for nuclear power plants. We have talked with them; we have already been greenlit to build here," Barlow said. "We’re working with Westinghouse Electric. So, we’ll be using one 300-megawatt Westinghouse SMR. And, we’ll be using an additional 40 eVinci microreactors, all tied into that plant. And so, we do have NRC’s blessing. We have gone through a lot of that vetting process already.”
However, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Westinghouse pushed back on Barlow’s comments. NRC spokesperson Scott Burnell said the agency had “no applications” for a nuclear reactor from XGen Holdings. A Westinghouse spokesperson told MTPR the company does not have a formal relationship with Barlow.
In a phone call with MTPR, Barlow said XGen won’t be able to submit applications for nuclear power until it owns the land it intends to build on.
Barlow also said the proposal doesn’t plan for any nuclear power until at least 2031.
Barlow told Butte-Silver Bow commissioners he was in contact with the state about the plan, and a spokesperson for Gov. Greg Gianforte confirmed that. Press secretary Kaitlin Price wrote, in part, “Montana will continue to embrace every opportunity to create more good-paying Montana jobs and be a leader in energy innovation.”
Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher reaffirmed his support for the project in an emailed statement, though he added Barlow’s comments were his own.
Barlow reiterated his focus is on moving his companies to Montana “as quick as feasible.”
