The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration awarded a five-year, $31 million grant to an Idaho, Wyoming-based nuclear initiative this week.
The Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Corridor Tech Hub initiative led by the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium received the grant Monday. The consortium is made up of more than 45 organizations, including the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory and Idaho Cleanup Project’s contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition.
In addition to the grant, $9 million in matching funds and investments were received, bringing the total to $40 million to the region, according to an Idaho National Laboratory press release.
According to the release, the grant will be used to advance nuclear fuel development to bolster domestic production. It also will be allocated to expand nuclear workforce development in manufacturing.
Several Idaho lawmakers on Capitol Hill applauded the grant received by their state.
“The future of American nuclear energy is being developed in Idaho,” Sen. James Risch (R) said in a Tuesday release. “Today’s investment by the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Consortium Tech Hub capitalizes on Idaho’s deep nuclear history and will expand opportunities for the West to maintain this strong reputation.”
The Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Corridor Tech Hub is one of 31 regional tech hubs set up under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Tech hubs are part of the United States’ effort to expand advanced manufacturing and strengthen the domestic supply chain, INL said.