Denver airport’s nuclear ambitions hit political roadblock

By EPN Staff

Denver International Airport (DEN) is the latest institution to consider building a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) to meet its anticipated future energy needs. The third busiest airport in the U.S., DEN anticipates it will experience a 15% growth in passengers over the next ten years. 

But shortly after DEN announced its plans in August to launch a feasibility study into SMR development, the project was put on hold. Opposition from Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore, who represents the airport district, has delayed the issuance of Request for Proposals.

“Nuclear energy is a must-have to meet our future energy needs. The leadership of Denver International Airport sees that clearly. It is beyond disappointing that the leftist contingent of the Denver City Council has paused the pursuit of needed, safe, clean, reliable power, ”Republican State Sen. Larry G. Liston (District 10) told Energy Platform News. 

Why it matters

SMRs are the next generation of nuclear power production. They are smaller and less expensive to build than conventional reactors and have lower fuel requirements. They produce about a third of the energy of a traditional reactor, but are able to be prefabricated, transported and assembled on-site. 

Nuclear currently accounts for nearly 20% of electricity generation in the U.S. but generates almost half of the country’s carbon-free electricity.

Zooming in

In March, a bill adding nuclear to Colorado’s definition of a “clean energy resource” was signed into law. This move makes nuclear projects eligible for new financing sources at the state, county, and city levels across Colorado. 

“The Colorado General Assembly gave bi-partisan support and passed HB25-1040, the capstone of my four-year effort to acknowledge nuclear energy will play a key role for our citizens, powering industry and providing quality jobs for Colorado’s workforce well into the 21st century,” said Liston, a prime sponsor of the bill.

Colorado hasn’t had a nuclear plant since 1989, when the Fort St. Vrain Nuclear Power Plant in Platteville, northeast of Denver closed after 10 years in operation. 

The bigger picture

In multiple states this year, elected leaders, utilities, and private companies have taken steps to begin the process of building an SMR. 

• Gov. Mike Braun of Indiana, a Republican, signed Senate Bill 423, a small modular nuclear reactor partnership pilot program to enable utilities to partner with other institutions like universities to develop an SMR. 
• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, recently announced her support for building a new advanced nuclear reactor to provide carbon-free baseload energy. 
• Duke Energy in North Carolina and the Tennessee Valley Authority are applying to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build SMRs. 
• SMR developer Holtec International, Hi Tech Solutions, LLC and the state of Utah have signed an agreement to create a “nuclear energy ecosystem” that combines SMRs, domestic manufacturing, and training. 
• In Kemmerer, Wyoming, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have broken ground on a small advanced reactor. 

Tech companies are also stepping in:

• Dominion Energy in Virginia and Amazon are exploring an opportunity to build an SMR to supply their energy needs. 
• Google signed an agreement with Kairos Power to develop several SMRs to power artificial intelligence technology. 
• Oracle is also looking at powering a data center with SMRs, according to its chairman and co-founder Larry Ellison.

In total, 12 states—including Connecticut, Maryland, Montana, Pennsylvania and Texas—have published studies on the costs and benefits of adopting new nuclear technology, with Colorado and Florida requesting their own evaluations, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute.

Twenty-eight states have 54 traditional nuclear power plants in operation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Additional Details

In May, the White House issued four executive orders to advance nuclear power generation and accelerate the building of small high tech reactors, including one directing the Department of Defense to establish a nuclear energy program on a domestic military base by 2028. 

So far, only China and Russia have operational SMRs, but, along with the United States, Argentina, Canada and South Korea are in the process of building or licensing such a reactor, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.