Utah lawmakers describe new outreach with Idaho National Laboratory to expand nuclear projects

Speaker 3 said Idaho National Laboratory visited Utah this week and that the University of Utah has an existing memorandum of understanding with the lab. "Today we had Idaho National Labs come down. We've been working on that for a while," Speaker 3 said, describing ongoing conversations about legislation and workforce initiatives to support energy development.

Speaker 1 called Idaho National Laboratory "one of the leaders, if not the leader, in nuclear energy development and technology" and said the lab was "really excited" about opportunities in Utah. Speakers described the San Rafael Energy Center in Emery County as a potential site for collaboration and said staff are examining how to coordinate with Idaho and Wyoming on regional energy projects.

On whether the effort ties directly to any single utility, Speaker 4 asked if the initiative was related to Rocky Mountain Power; Speaker 3 said the emphasis is on multi-state coordination and shared objectives rather than a utility-specific origin. Officials said they expect the energy board and legislative staff to continue discussions and consider legislation to formalize partnerships and workforce training.

The speakers framed the effort as both an economic opportunity for rural Utah and a technical partnership that would build on existing university and federal lab relationships. They said the next steps include continued legislative conversations with the energy board and local partners to examine potential bills and workforce programs.