Overview
- At the Operation Gigawatt Summit on Friday, Gov. Spencer Cox and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright publicly promoted small modular and advanced reactors as tools to meet rising electricity demand and lower costs.
- Federal officials said Valar Atomics’ small modular reactor experiment at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab is close to achieving criticality, meaning it could reach a self‑sustaining chain reaction within weeks as part of a federal demonstration timeline.
- Cox and the White House signed an agreement intended to align and streamline permitting for energy and infrastructure projects in Utah, a move officials say could speed deployment of new reactors and related facilities.
- The governor reiterated that the proposed 40,000‑acre Stratos data center in Box Elder County must complete standard air‑quality and environmental reviews and disputed reports that it would require 9 gigawatts of natural‑gas power.
- Environmental and community groups, including HEAL Utah, warned that faster permitting and nuclear deployment raise questions about radioactive exposure, impacts on the Great Salt Lake, local jobs and long‑term oversight, keeping scrutiny on any permit applications.