State leaders say Utah is facing an energy crisis as its population grows and electricity needs soar.
Adams has said he believes nuclear power is one way to solve the problem, and at a meeting Thursday, he said he sees the expanding Military Installation Development Authority as one tool that could help galvanize nuclear power production in the state.
Adams is the board chair of MIDA, a state agency led by appointed, not elected, officials. It was originally founded to serve veterans and military members, and it invests in major economic development projects around the state.
The latest of its ventures is the Utah National Guard Project Area, which includes 28 sites all over the state.
It was first publicly described in June, formally created in August and expanded at November’s MIDA board meeting.
Ariana Farber, the National Guard area project director, asked the board to approve adding two parcels of land in Beaver County to the project. It unanimously voted yes.
After the vote, Adams commented he’s excited about the project’s potential.
“We're hoping that these project areas help us with making Utah one of the nuclear headquarters for the world here, as we try to produce power and solve the AI need for data centers and power,” he said.
He pointed to a recent visit to the Idaho National Laboratory, where researchers are refining nuclear energy. He said Utah could benefit from microreactors, scaled-down nuclear reactors that can generate electricity and heat. They’re designed to be portable, small enough to be hauled by a semi-truck.
“Those microreactors can be built off-site, dropped on-site, and up and running with very little permitting,” he said.
He said he hopes Utah can install microreactors in the Tooele or Dugway areas. That’s where the newest MIDA project fits into the puzzle.
“We read you loud and clear, sir,” Farber replied.
Microreactors are still in development, but according to the Idaho National Laboratory, they’re expected to be operable in 2025.
