Utah testing the waters for advanced nuclear energy

The Frontiers Initiative, established three years ago, seeks to marry the efforts of eight states that are creating economic development plans focused on the use of advanced nuclear energy. Utah is among half of those states designated as a “first mover” state that is uniquely positioned and ahead of the game in this arena.
“We have strengthened our position with stakeholders in first mover states — Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Alaska — while adding engagements where increasing interest in advanced nuclear energy intersects with industry needs, including in Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, and South Carolina,” said Steve Aumeier, senior adviser at INL.
Frontiers was established in 2021 to help players identify and capitalize on key economic opportunities afforded by early adoption of advanced nuclear energy. The initiative also helps stakeholders leverage advanced nuclear to capture emerging global market opportunities in low-emission industries.
A Frontiers Project meeting convenes Thursday in Park City hosted by the Atlantic Council in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory.
Discussions will build on previous Frontier meetings held in Jackson, Wyoming, and Anchorage, Alaska.
Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, is slated to give the keynote remarks, in addition to Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and Jon Camack, deputy assistant secretary for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Office of Nuclear Energy within the U.S. Department of Energy.
Other speakers throughout the day include Laura Hanson, senior adviser for long range planning with the Utah Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, Christopher Damour, garrison manager at Dugway Proving Ground, as well as the president and chief executive officer of Rocky Mountain Power, Richard Garlish.
In January, Aumeier met with key Utah stakeholders to discuss how the state can leverage advanced nuclear energy technologies for economic development. That led to University of Utah’s Energy Futures Research Engine joining the Frontiers Consortium. In August, a Utah delegation toured INL, with Aumeier leading a discussion on nuclear energy policy.
During the tour, members of the delegation expressed interest in INL’s Frontiers Consortium hoping to capitalize on the laboratory’s nuclear energy research to help build a workforce and lead Utah in embracing economic competitiveness in low emissions manufacturing in the state.
Utah has since been setting the stage for developing an economic strategy that fully leverages advanced nuclear energy and gaining an understanding of the array of opportunities.
Idaho National Laboratory and its Frontier Initiative has attracted a key interest by the military in using advanced nuclear energy as a way to cut diesel fuel costs and be energy independent should anything happen to the grid.
The application for this type of technology such as microreactors could be used as backup for emergency response centers as well.