County resident Sara Shivers presented a proposal for consideration to the council on Monday Nov. 10, that could bring 1,600 construction jobs over a seven-year construction phase and 250 longterm operational jobs to the county.
TerraPower, in partnership with Evergy and the Kansas Department of Commerce, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to evaluate Kansas sites for the construction of its next-generation nuclear power plant. Shivers noted that Greenwood County should consider bringing the power plant to the area.
According to the proposal, TerraPower’s site selection will prioritize locations demonstrating strong community support as well as access to 345 kV (kilovolts) transmission infrastructure, which is a system of high-voltage (345,000 volts) power lines and related equipment that acts as the backbone of an electricity grid, moving large amounts of electricity over long distances. Shivers explained that Greenwood County has two such systems, one north of Eureka Lake and another west of Hamilton.
The facility would require approximately 80– 120 acres, which Shivers said TerraPower is willing to purchase outright. TerraPower’s Natrium reactor is different from a traditional nuclear reactor like at Wolf Creek and would not need a large water source. The small modular reactor uses sodium as its primary coolant instead of water. TerraPower primarily uses a sodium-cooled Natrium reactor.
Shivers said that “The multi-year construction timeline offers the region a unique opportunity to plan and develop new housing and infrastructure to support incoming workers, further stimulating the local economy.”
“Greenwood County offers several competitive advantages that align closely with TerraPower’s site requirements,” said Shivers, noting strategic location, land availability, and utility partnership. Shivers shared that Eureka and Greenwood County are very similar in size to a site in Wyoming chosen by TerraPower which broke ground last year on the first of its kind facility. Shivers said that she and Mayor Stephen Coulter have been in contact with that city’s administrator who has offered to share the presentation they gave to TerraPower when site selection was done there, which might give Greenwood County some insight toward forming its own presentation.
Shivers said Greenwood County Commissioners approved a motion on Nov. 3 to draft a letter of support and interest in bringing a TerraPower advanced nuclear facility to Greenwood County and recommended coordination with the commission if the city council approves, as well.
It was shared that Lyon County, Coffey County and Hutchinson have submitted letters of interest and support already and several other locations have expressed interest.
Coulter said that community members he had spoken to have been supportive of the idea. He acknowledged potential threats associated with the facility but noted that if Lyon or Coffey County were to be selected, those threats would still affect Greenwood County due to their close proximity. “We might as well reap the economic benefits with the jobs and possibilities that it may bring. The potential impact is huge,” he said.
Councilman Kevin Lawrence described the Natruim type reactor as “walkaway safe” a design that automatically shuts down and cools itself in an emergency without needing human intervention or external power. “The demand for power is only going to increase” stated councilman Dan Campbell.
After discussion, each council member gave individual assent and the council moved to support the TerraPower project by unanimous vote.
Letters of interest and support are to be submitted by Dec. 1 of this year. TerraPower will begin the site selection process early in 2026. Shivers said that an information page about the TerraPower Advanced Nuclear facility and its potential impact on Greenwood County will be added to the county’s website (www.greenwoodcounty. org) in the near future.
Sewer
The council discussed a problem that came to light during the Nov. 8 craft show at the Greenwood County Community Center (GC3), also known as Eureka Downs. Mayor Coulter shared that there had been a backup of the sewer system for the concourse building during the show. Code Enforcement Officer Steve French elaborated that the issue was a result of a lateral bore made during the installation of new fiber internet for the concourse building. French explained that during the bore, the horizontal directional drill, (HDD) had penetrated the sewer line and damaged about 12 to 16 feet of the PVC line. “They couldn’t have hit it better if they’d been aiming for it,” said French. Coulter noted that neither the city nor Ideatek, who made the bore, had known the sewer line was there, as it had not been marked. An additional challenge arose because the original sewer line had no cleanout (a capped pipe that provides direct entry to the sewer line), making it difficult to access the problem area. The sewer line for the GC3 concourse building was installed in the early 1980s and has never backed up, according to Coulter. “The line would have lasted indefinitely,” said French. “The PVC was still in good shape.” French said that the system is expected to be repaired by Wednesday, Nov. 12, and will include a new cleanout pipe. It is not anticipated that Ideatek will reimburse for the repairs, as the sewer line was not marked prior to work beginning.
Dog Pound
French gave an update regarding renovation progress at the city’s dog pound. French explained that they are making the repairs one section at a time to maintain access for the dogs to the indoor area at night due to the cold weather. French said that they have gutted the first two rooms, which were an office area and washroom, and are working to clean and prepare the walls to install new drywall. He hopes to complete those two rooms by the middle of the week of Nov. 17. Once finished, French explained that the plan is to complete the kennel area half at a time, again allowing for the dogs to be indoors at night during the process. There are seven dogs housed at the Eureka Animal Pound at this time.
During their Oct. 27 meeting, the city council reviewed an agreement with JEO Consulting Group for water and sewer infrastructure projects. The agreement presented at that meeting contained incomplete data, as the city has not yet chosen a project to move forward with. The discussion was tabled until the Nov 10 meeting in order to gain clarity on the matter. Attorney James Watson told the council on Monday that JEO will send a complete agreement once Eureka chooses a specific project to begin and gave the council his approval. The council moved to approve the agreement with JEO.
The consent agenda, including minutes of the Oct. 27 regular meeting, the scheduled claims list for expenses due through Oct. 24 in the amount of $223,173.49, and Purchase Order #730926 to JEO Consultants for $9,036.25, was approved as presented.
The next Eureka City Council meeting is set for Monday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Eureka Public Library.
