Rural Utah eyed for new nuclear power plants

Last week, The Rural Blog reported an increase in the number of proposals for new nuclear power plants. Now it seems that list might be growing.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that a Utah state representative and others are looking to build two new reactors in the state, possibly near the town of Green River, population 949. The choice is all about the Green River, from which the plants could draw the nearly 10 billion gallons of water each would need every year, report Patty Henetz and Robert Gehrke. They write that Rep. Aaron Tilton, a Springville Republican and CEO of Transition Power Development LLC, signed a contract last month with the adjacent Kane County Water Conservancy District to secure water rights.

"Transition Power was set up with the goal of finding a good site, acquiring the land and water rights and doing the geotechnical and environmental studies needed to get an Early Site Permit from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission," the Tribune explains. "Transition Power would then sell its permit or partner with a power company or consortium of utilities that would build the plant."

Securing the water won't be easy because recent congressional efforts to protect parts of the Green River, as well as concerns about current drought conditions, might complicate the process. (Read more)