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Nuclear Startup Wins Local Approval For Up To 120 Small Reactors Beside Data Centers
Carbon County planners in eastern Utah have approved a permit for Valar Atomics to develop a campus combining small nuclear reactors and data centres. The decision allows the company to pursue the project, but construction of reactors depends on federal licensing, and the approval matters because the proposal could bring a large new energy complex to the region.
The Raceway Energy Campus would cover about 640 acres and include 40 to 120 reactors; conditions include at least three town halls, a cleanup bond and a half-mile buffer from homes. Valar also proposes a natural gas plant to supply buildings before the reactors are ready and provide backup or peak power, drawing criticism from a state senator. A separate plan on neighbouring federal land envisages about 456 reactors, while the company’s existing state lease costs $14,400 a year during its five-year development phase and is due to rise to $300,000 by year eight.
In short
- Carbon County approved a permit for Valar Atomics’ Utah campus.
- The proposal includes 40 to 120 reactors beside data centres.
- Federal licensing is still required before reactors can be built.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters could argue that local approval gives the county a chance to shape a major energy and technology investment, with town halls, a cleanup bond and a buffer from homes built into the conditions. If federally licensed, the reactors could provide substantial power for data centres and bring development to the region, while the proposed gas plant could supply interim and backup electricity.
The case against
Critics could argue that approving a campus of this scale before federal reactor licensing leaves residents facing significant uncertainty about its eventual impacts and whether promised safeguards will be sufficient. They may also question the project’s reliance on natural gas for interim and peak power, and whether the land lease and oversight arrangements adequately protect the public interest as the development expands.