JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Governor Mike Kehoe joined the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in kicking off the Missouri Advanced Nuclear Energy Task Force in Jefferson City last week. Task force members, including scientists, lawmakers, local leaders and utility representatives, convened to discuss the future of advanced nuclear energy in Missouri.
“The need for power is not going away,” said Gov. Mike Kehoe. “Nuclear energy is a major answer to a lot of the pressing issues we have in front of us, including economic development. I’m asking the members of this task force to help us craft Missouri’s long-range energy plan that will put our state on the path to meet future energy needs.”
Established by Executive Order 26-04, Missouri’s Advanced Nuclear Energy Task Force is charged with evaluating and guiding the state’s strategic approach to nuclear energy development. The order confirms Missouri’s role in advancing nuclear energy as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the state’s energy reliability, affordability and long-term economic growth.
Compared to existing commercial nuclear reactors, advanced nuclear energy reactors incorporate innovative technologies such as passive safety features, alternative fuel or coolant types, or are designed to be more compact and scalable.
The task force’s efforts come on the heels of last year’s Missouri Nuclear Summit in Columbia, which the department also hosted. Discussions at both events centered around nuclear as a tool to help Missouri meet energy reliability, affordability and economic competitiveness goals, while maintaining a legacy of safety and environmental stewardship.
“We are anticipating a significant increase in the need for energy in the coming years,” said Kurt Schaefer, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “We have to have a dispatchable source of energy to meet Missouri’s energy needs going forward. Part of what this group needs to do, on behalf of energy security, is to chart a path forward.”
To guide future discussions and decisions, the task force will focus on workforce development, operational knowledge, utility issues, legislation, regulatory workflow and public outreach.
“Missouri has the potential to serve not only our needs, but those of other states as well,” said Schaefer.
To learn more about the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Energy, visit the department’s Energy webpage. Information about the Advanced Nuclear Energy Task Force, including its membership, is available at the department’s Advanced Nuclear Energy Task Force webpage.