Gov. Cox wants Utah to build toward safe, beneficial advanced nuclear reactors

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox gave welcoming remarks Tuesday to a group of experts in the field of nuclear energy, reiterating the technology is safe and vital for Utah's energy future.

"We are here because of your commitment to the future of this country and our world — making our world a better place. It's a commitment that we in Utah share with you, and I firmly believe that we have a window of opportunity unlike anything we've seen, at least in my lifetime, which is very quickly approaching 50 years," he said.

The Advanced Reactors Summit XII and Technology Trailblazers is being held at the Hyatt Regency in Salt Lake City under the auspices of the U.S. Nuclear Energy Council. It features a number of topics that include nuclear and data centers, a discussion on how to get the reactors built, especially in light of the energy demand that is coming on with industrial and data centers.

The future of nuclear energy and its deployment is not isolated to the United States but is also on the front burner globally.

"We were gathered together because we share this fundamental understanding that the United States is at an energy crossroads. Indeed, so is the world. We had an opportunity to travel to Asia this past fall, spend time with our friends in Asia and in Korea, and this was the No. 1 topic that they wanted to talk about as well," Cox said.

Two years ago, Cox was a part of a delegation that visited France, with him noting 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.

"If we don't act now, we risk falling behind the rest of the world, especially China, who is rapidly expanding its nuclear energy capacity, and if we don't match that ambition with our own energy investors, we could lose our competitive edge. The United States was once a global leader in nuclear energy innovation and deployment. We built reactors quickly, safely and at scale, especially in the 1960s and 1970s," Cox said.

Times have changed

"Now today, I like to say we've become one of the dumbest countries on earth, and I mean that in this way: We've made several choices that have stopped us from building abundance with the abundance mentality that we once had. We've just stopped building everything," he said. "We've overregulated our society, and we've made it impossible to do the things we need to do, not just in energy, but in other places, like housing. Affordable housing is a deep concern here and across the United States, but these are choices that we would make. We've made choices that handcuffs us as a country, as a society, and we can make different choices."

Last fall, Cox announced Operation Gigawatt, which is the state's plan to double its energy production within a decade. As part of that initiative, his budget sets aside $20 million for nuclear energy development.

"We believe that Utah is uniquely positioned to lead the nuclear renaissance in the United States. We have the resources, the workforce and the political will to make this happen. We are already seeing results. Utah's nuclear supply chain is growing," he emphasized.

Utah has partnered with Idaho and Wyoming for an advanced nuclear coalition and is working with the Idaho National Laboratory, having been identified as one of a handful of "first mover" states to develop nuclear energy not just for the grid but to foster economic development.

"This isn't about cutting corners. It's about applying modern technology with smart, streamlined regulation that still prioritizes safety but also enables us to build again. We must build. We can build. We have a will to build," Cox said. "We have capital to build. We have to build again." Those remarks drew applause.

But Cox knows there are detractors and skeptics.

"I often talk to my environmental friends and say if you're not willing to talk about nuclear, then I can't take you seriously. If you truly believe in decarbonizing the atmosphere around us, nuclear has to be part of that answer. This crossroads is one that, again, we haven't seen in many, many decades," he said. "But it is the best opportunity that we've seen to change the narrative around nuclear and actually get things moving again."

HEAL Utah, in fact, has issued an action alert targeting legislation working its way through this session.

It specifically calls out HB249, by Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, that would set up the Utah Energy Council and a nuclear energy consortium and SB216, which is waiting in the Senate for possible debate. That measure by Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, would allow for the expansion of EnergySolutions waste disposal facility in Clive, Tooele County, and is meant to align Utah waste classifications with definitions outlined by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That too, is in the Senate. EnergySolutions is pushing for the bill's passage on expansion because it is nearing capacity.

HEAL Utah has said it is deeply concerned about these bills and if passed into law, their implications to public health and safety.

Some critics fear Utah's path toward a nuclear energy future means it will abandon its prohibition on only accepting Class A waste, which is the lowest or least "hot" waste that is generated.

After his speech. Cox said those worries are unfounded.

"There are always discussions about that, but right now there are no plans to do that," he said.

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