Nuclear Power

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.

“We cannot be cowed by any pushback, we just have to keep getting the truth out there and talk about the value of science, the value of education, over and over again,” Flatow told KUER’s Pamela McCall.

An intergovernmental council in Moffat and Rio Blanco counties, just over the border from Utah, is exploring the possibility of temporary waste storage as an economic driver for a region that is seeing diminished returns from coal-fired power.

Lawmakers are full steam ahead on forging a nuclear-powered future, but concerns still exist around safety and taxpayer accountability.

Gov. Spencer Cox began his second term determined to push Utah to build houses, infrastructure and strong communities.

Unlike previous years, lawmakers seem to be steering clear of pushing through some of the most controversial bills within the first two weeks.

Nuclear power has come a long way since the days of the Chernobyl and Three Mile Island disasters. Building today’s technology, however, comes with a steep price.