Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
- Utah explores nuclear reactors at Delta plant with EnergySolutions and Intermountain Power Agency.
- The initiative aligns with Gov. Spencer Cox's Operation Gigawatt to double energy production.
- Critics raise safety concerns, but Cox emphasizes careful study and gradual implementation.
SALT LAKE CITY — EnergySolutions, a nuclear services company headquartered in Salt Lake City, is working on an initiative with Utah and the Intermountain Power Agency to explore if nuclear reactors are a good fit for the Delta plant.
The Intermountain Power Plant is abandoning its use of coal in favor of natural gas and plans to someday adding hydrogen as a power source.
But Utah lawmakers have been clear with new laws on the books that they want a role securing the future of the infrastructure already in place, including power lines that transmit the vast majority of energy generated to California.
This initiative could open another door in the state's energy portfolio and is in line with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's goal to double the state's energy production in a decade.
"The project is aligned with Gov. Spencer Cox's Operation Gigawatt initiative and seeks to address increasing demand for electrification of society and energy intensive industries critical to maintaining our quality of life," said Emy Lesofski, director of the Utah Office of Energy Development.
Key aspects of the initiative include:
- Partnering with the Intermountain Power Agency to leverage existing infrastructure at the Intermountain Power Plant site.
- Potential development of advanced small modular reactor nuclear baseload power.
- Advancing grid stabilization.
- Collaboration with local, state and regional stakeholders.
- Fostering rural economic development and job creation in Utah.
"We are excited to pursue this opportunity to create a clean energy hub for the western United States," said Ken Robuck, president and CEO of EnergySolutions. "By adding new advanced nuclear technology to the existing renewable and hydrogen initiatives, we aim to provide a stable, decarbonized power supply that meets the needs of the state of Utah and the region."
EnergySolutions says it is working closely with Intermountain Power Agency, leveraging its experience in power project development and execution in Utah.
"The (Intermountain Power Plant) site is uniquely positioned for consideration of new nuclear generation and builds on (Intermountain Power Agency)'s successful history of power generation development in Utah," said Cameron Cowan, Intermountain Power Agency general manager. "EnergySolutions is a Utah-based nuclear company with the background and capability to facilitate evaluating this unique opportunity."
The trio signed off on a memorandum of understanding this week to facilitate the exploration of the proposal and is also working in tandem with the Idaho National Laboratory as it proceeds down this path to develop nuclear energy.
This announcement follows legislation successfully passed by Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, this year that established a Utah Energy Council and a nuclear energy consortium.
The latter group will be made up of lawmakers, experts in the nuclear energy space, the national laboratory and representatives of the Office of Energy Development.
The French connection
Two years ago, Cox was part of a delegation that visited France, and he later noted the visit included meeting with that country's nuclear agencies. He added France is on a path far different than the rest of Europe, with an understanding of how important nuclear energy is for its future.
According to the World Nuclear Association, France gets 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy. The association said the country has been very active in developing nuclear technology. Reactors and especially fuel products and services have been a significant export. About 17% of France's electricity is from recycled nuclear fuel.
By comparison, there have been only three nuclear reactors built in the United States in the last 28 years, according to a lawsuit against the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The complaint was filed by Utah, Texas and nuclear startup Last Energy. It was recently joined by Louisiana, which said the regulatory agencies stifle development of new nuclear technology.
Utah is also in a three-way partnership with Idaho and Wyoming to foster development of nuclear energy.
Wyoming and TerraPower's Bill Gates are moving ahead with the construction of the 345 megawatt Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor demonstration project near Kemmerer. It is being built near PacifiCorp's 687 megawatt Naughton power plant, which PacifiCorp plans to convert from coal to natural gas.
TerraPower has said it represents the world's first coal-to-nuclear power plant under development.
From coal to nuclear
As fossil fuel emissions come under increasing scrutiny, the Idaho National Laboratory, other nuclear experts and states are recognizing the need for a potential shift to this market.
PacifiCorp signed a memorandum of understanding exploring the placement of the Natrium reactors at the Hunter and Huntington coal-fired plants in Emery County.
A study by the U.S. Department of Energy involving national laboratories identified 157 retired coal plant sites and 237 operating coal plants sites as potential candidates for the coal-to-nuclear transition.
Christine King, the Department of Energy's director of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear previously told the Deseret News the research showed that the most valuable connection in the site analysis was connection to the grid, the transmission, existing substations and even the administration buildings.
"What gets more complicated is if you start to think about what advanced nuclear opens up is the idea to consider coupling directly to the steam cycle equipment," she said. "And that's, you know, one of the things about generating electricity with gas and with coal and with nuclear is we're all just boiling water to turn a turbine, which turns the generator which puts electrons out on the grid."
Utah has been identified as a "fast mover" state in the arena of developing nuclear energy against an economic backdrop, using small modular reactors or even microreactors to power manufacturing facilities.
That designation comes as part of Idaho National Laboratories' Frontier initiative.
The transition to nuclear energy as a carbon free baseload source of power has enjoyed bipartisan support under three different presidential administrations.
Critics say the federal government and states are moving too hastily in this space, ignoring safety risks, the necessary mining of uranium ore and the storage of waste.
Cox has dismissed those concerns and there is agreement that these type of energy generators are not going to pop up overnight, and without careful study of risks.
On Monday, Cox is hosting a ceremonial bill signing which advances his Operation Gigawatt initiative and also details a memorandum of understanding with INL.
