In 2015, as part of its long-term carbon emissions avoidance strategy, UAMPS formally launched the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP).
In August 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a second, $16.7 million cost-shared financial assistance award to NuScale Power, LLC for the preparation of a combined construction and operating license application (COLA) for the UAMPS CFPP.
Important steps continue towards commercialization of the CFPP, like initial licensing and investigative activities that are underway with the expectation that COLA preparation—including selection of the preferred site for the project—will be completed in 2020.
In 2016 the DOE issued a site use permit granting access to Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for the purposes of identifying potential locations for the NuScale plant. If suitable, the use of a preferred site for such purposes is 99 years from the commercial operation date for the first nuclear power module at the CFPP.