January 1, Utah County Approves Massive Nuclear Campus To Power AI Data Centers

Wyatt’s Take

• Local leaders chose American energy independence over radical green rules
• Small reactors will provide steady, reliable power for critical infrastructure
• Blue-collar jobs and tax revenue will flow straight into rural Utah communities

Carbon County planners gave a nuclear startup the green light Thursday night for a big campus of small reactors right next to data centers in eastern Utah. The county planning commission voted to approve the permit at a special meeting in Price, Utah.

Planning Commissioner Lisa Simmons was the lone vote against the project. The application calls for up to 120 small reactors built alongside data centers that need steady electricity.

The project aims to bring reliable power to the growing number of data centers that serve the tech industry. Small reactors offer a clean, steady source of electricity that does not depend on weather conditions.

“We are bringing good-paying jobs and new tax revenue to our county,” said a Valar Atomics representative at the meeting.

Local officials see the project as a way to boost the rural economy while meeting the power demands of modern technology. Data centers that run search engines, cloud storage, and artificial intelligence need constant electricity.

“This vote shows that communities can choose practical energy solutions without waiting for Washington,” another supporter stated.

The reactors will be built on land already zoned for industrial use. Construction is expected to start after final state permits are secured.

Wyatt Matters

Middle America wants affordable power that keeps the lights on and the jobs at home, not imported energy tied to foreign supply chains or unreliable weather-dependent sources.