Mike McGough, NuScale’s chief commercial officer, welcomed the news — even though some significant regulatory hurdles remain to be cleared.

Most notably, NuScale must still obtain design certification from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and UAMPS still needs a construction and operating license from the NRC. But McGough said the site use permit was a key step along that path.

“It’s a very big deal,” he said in an interview. “It’s a very big step in being able to use the land.”

Once UAMPS identifies a preferred site, it will check with the DOE to make sure it does not conflict with other activities at the Idaho National Lab.

If the location passes muster, the co-op will proceed with the next step in the process: an in-depth characterization of the site to ensure it meets guidelines for environmental protections, historic and cultural resource preservation and other regulatory requirements.

Detailed information about the site will be included in UAMPS’ application for a construction and operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That review process typically takes about three years.