Within seven years, Rexburg could become the home to a nuclear reactor.

Rexburg Mayor Jerry Merrill recently announced the project that would be in conjunction with INL. The city has discussed such a possibility in recent years, he said.

“There’s no real concrete plans,” Merrill said. “We have told INL we would be interested in getting one of those small nuclear reactors built around here to help with our power needs in the future.”

The proposed reactor would be located east of town in the White Owl area.

“We found out if we wanted to have a reactor built and put in, that might be a better area out there,” Merrill said. “There are some main transmission lines to hook up into the city. We’re just looking at all kinds of different possibilities. Nothing has been nailed down.”

Nuclear reactors are increasingly safe, he said.

“The safety factor on them is much, much better than any of the older reactors,” Merrill said. “They are much more stable as far as containing the radiation.”

There are commercial companies that build reactors, he said.

“A lot of it has come about because of the research that’s been done out at the INL,” Merrill said. “That’s where the conversation begins, with these folks. They would have to match us up with companies that actually build the reactors.”

The companies would have to figure out how much power the reactors would produce.

“We’ll be talking to the local power companies if they want to be involved in financing the construction of the reactor, move it on their lines that go to different places, different parts of town and the different parts of the area.”

Merrill realizes that a few residents might be worried about having a nuclear reactor in their hometown.

“There may be some folks who are nervous about it,” Merrill said. “Most of the people I’ve talked to are pretty comfortable with the newer types of nuclear generating methods and the safety record that they have. People are getting a lot more comfortable with nuclear power in general.”

Nuclear power is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world, Merrill said.

“The United States has fallen way behind in the use of nuclear power,” he said. “Japan, France and all over Europe, (countries) generate nuclear power very safely. We’ve fallen way behind because our regulations have gotten so tight.”

The U.S. hasn’t pursued atomic energy because it produces numerous other forms of good power sources, but that’s gradually changing Merrill said.

“They’re starting to realize we need nuclear power for a good dependable power source,” Merrill said. “It’s a lot more dependable than wind or solar power. We’re going to need a lot more power in the future with all of the things coming online. It’s one of the things we need to look at.”

Of course, it will cost a chunk of change to build a nuclear reactor. Merrill noted that INL applied for a “very large grant” recently.

“(It) would help us get it going,” he said. “That probably isn’t going to materialize for another year. We wouldn’t want the reactor to be totally grant supported. Those grants do run out eventually. We’re looking for some funding partners interested in helping us get it up and going.”

The city is also working with INL on creating an entrepreneurship center, Merrill said.

“We want to do the new center but to have a fairly heavy emphasis on power generation, and things like what the new technologies are,” Merrill said.

The center would be the site for the new Rexburg business to develop and to flourish, he said.

“Engineers and scientists have good ideas, but don’t know how to take them out to the market,” Merrill said. “We could match them up with businesspeople who know how to do that. If we create that synergism and take these new ideas that scientists come up with and figure out how to turn them in to viable businesses.”

Merrill hopes to have the entrepreneurship center up and running in the near future.