The future of power for some Utah cities? Nuclear energy

Washington City and other municipalities in the area are investing in nuclear energy to get ahead of projected power needs. By 2026, Washington City could be getting its baseload power – the minimum power it takes to run the city – almost completely from nuclear energy.

But this isn’t your atomic bomb kind of nuclear, according to Washington City Power Director Rick Hansen. This nuclear reactor, projected to be built near Idaho Falls, is different.

“People, unfortunately, associate nuclear with atomic bombs, and they're not," Hansen said. "If you look at it as an overall perspective, I think it's pretty darn safe."

NuScale is the company that has proposed the reactor designs and is working on permitting for a 40-acre small modular reactor nuclear station in Idaho.

The station won’t be up and running until 2026. NuScale recently moved to phase four of licensing with the Nuclear Regulation Commission, and Hansen said it's reassuring to see the processing going smoothly.

Read more: https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2019/10/10/washington-nuscale-uamps-nuclear-idaho-falls-power-plant/3933302002/
(St. George The Spectrum)