Weber County’s satellite inland port project area is perched just off the eastern shore of the Great Salt Lake, right outside of Ogden Bay. Economic Development Director Stephanie Russell wants stable jobs in this part of the county, which means bringing in new companies.
And those companies need electricity. Nuclear could be an option. But Russell is determined that things go differently than when a massive data center was proposed for neighboring Box Elder County.
“We want to dispel myths, but we also want to talk about pros and cons,” Russell said. “This is not about Weber County coming in and forcing a project onto their community. This is about us having some open dialogue about our needs and how we can be very strategic to move our community forward.”
Before any proposals are on the table, she wants residents to ask questions, learn how projects come together and understand the legal, social and environmental ramifications of different options.
Lately, when it comes to nuclear, Utah hasn’t been waiting around.
Gov. Spencer Cox’s Operation Gigawatt calls for expanded energy production, and nuclear power is shaping up to be a big part of that. The Beehive State is a finalist for a federal nuclear campus in Tooele County. A proposed nuclear hub is in the works for Brigham City. And at the state’s San Rafael Energy Lab in Emery County, an advanced reactor reached a milestone in June when it achieved criticality, meaning it can sustain a controlled nuclear chain reaction.
Part of all that activity has been outreach. Weber County and the Utah Office of Energy Development hosted a nuclear energy symposium in Ogden on Aug. 5. Russell said she’s not pushing one power source over another. Her priority is creating high-paying jobs that won’t be lost to artificial intelligence — while maintaining western Weber County’s culture and environment.
The symposium brought together experts, industry representatives and interested residents. Panelists explained the environmental considerations that go into whether an area is appropriate for nuclear, like seismic activity, flood risk and water availability. And jobs? Those are plentiful in the nuclear industry, and not just for highly educated scientists, they said.
This wasn’t a one-off. The Utah Office of Energy Development has hosted similar events in Carbon, Grand, Summit and Wayne counties. The next stop is the Duchesne County Fair.
Some attendees on the outreach tour have been gung-ho for more jobs. Others have been afraid of nuclear energy production, said Heather McShane, spokesperson for the Utah Office of Energy Development.
“We are not trying to say that their fears are not warranted,” she said. “It’s just, we want to have an actual open conversation and see if, you know, if there's anything that we can help explain to them that would just make them a little less fearful.”
A reactor wouldn’t be the first nuclear-related project in western Weber County. Westinghouse Nuclear has a facility in the inland port project area that produces zirconium and hafnium, which are used to make nuclear fuel.
McShane encourages Utahns to attend the education events, regardless of their stance on nuclear. She said it’s not about Utah shoving something down people’s throats.
“We want to find out what makes you fearful, or why do you want it in your community? So, you know, that's a really important step to finding out if this is feasible for us.”
And this discussion will continue. Weber County is planning a listening session in December or January for residents to ask questions, share their opinions and weigh in on the county’s zoning and development policies going forward.
Nuclear projects are coming, Russell said. And if leaders don’t hear from residents, they’ll assume everyone is OK with it.
“We want to make sure that we're either a good fit for it, or we've at least done our due diligence to say that we're not a good fit.”
Macy Lipkin is a Report for America corps member who reports for KUER in northern Utah.
