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Panelists say advanced nuclear energy is gaining momentum in Utah
Summary
Industry leaders and Idaho National Lab researchers told a University of Utah panel that small modular and advanced reactors are gaining traction because of decarbonization goals, energy security and large private customers such as data centers.
Charles Vestgrave, dean of engineering at the University of Utah, opened a panel bringing industry and national-lab leaders together to discuss the role of advanced nuclear in Utah’s energy future. "We're proud to have the only nuclear reactor in the state of Utah," Vestgrave said, noting the university’s research reactor and the state’s growing interest in next-generation nuclear technologies.
Panelists from Westinghouse, Idaho National Laboratory, Oklo and Energy Solutions said a mix of policy support, private capital and customer demand — particularly from data centers and other large electricity buyers — is changing nuclear’s economics and timetable. "Today, our technology, is in about 50% of the world's operating nuclear power plants," Rita Barinwald, senior vice president for AP300 SMRs at Westinghouse, said to characterize her company's global footprint. Speakers emphasized workforce and regulatory hurdles as the two main constraints to faster deployment.
