Nuclear Power

Federal efforts to revive uranium mining in the West and decrease reliance on Russian uranium raise concerns about drinking water for tribal communities reckoning with the industry's deadly legacy.

A new generation of small nuclear reactors is poised to come online in the next few years, as Utah, Wyoming and Idaho are all jockeying for a leg up in the new industry rush.

The recent nuclear power symposium in Ogden is one part of Utah’s ongoing outreach to get residents as excited about nuclear as the state’s leaders and some in the business community.

The five state finalists — Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Utah and Idaho — have agreed to accept nuclear waste from around the country in exchange for federal help to develop nuclear energy and create thousands of jobs.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the microreactor being developed by Antares Nuclear Inc. at the Idaho National Lab reached “criticality,” meaning it achieved a self-sustaining chain reaction.

The billboards are part of an education campaign under Gov. Spencer Cox’s Operation Gigawatt. There is science behind the claim, but critics think it’s unfair.

The Trump administration has a growing appetite to build domestic nuclear power and the industry that supports it. That dovetails with Utah's own interest in developing an in-state full-stop nuclear economy.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted the permit to Bill Gates-backed TerraPower to build a sodium-cooled nuclear reactor in Kemmerer, about 130 miles northeast of Salt Lake City.

Sen. Derrin Owens wants to help the rural districts he represents. He hopes getting them a piece of Utah’s nuclear pie could boost their declining economies.

Utah has struck several deals this year to bring new nuclear technologies to the state. Part of that is a lease for enrichment at Camp Williams, as well as test reactors in Emery County.

Environmental reviews of mining operations normally take months or years. But after President Donald Trump declared a “national energy emergency,” it took just 11 days for the Bureau of Land Management to approve the Velvet-Wood uranium mine's plan to resume operations in San Juan County.

Waxy crude oil drawn from the Uinta Basin is at record high levels — the vast majority of the state’s 65.1 million barrels produced in 2024 — and is the driver behind Utah’s recent uptick in energy exports.