Utah hates anything nuclear, and rightfully so. However, they’re missing the benefits of new energy alternatives. So, when Valar Atomics came along, proposing nuclear energy for data centers being built, it wasn’t exactly celebrated. Many Carbon County residents are stirred by the two new data centers coming, but their least favorite part is the ways they plan to power the data centers. The proposed projects focus on natural gas and nuclear fission. Carbon County has endless lists of complaints, mainly concerning safety and sustainability, but that’s an overreaction. The energy projects in Carbon County are completely safe and sustainable.
Jurassic Spark aims to utilize the natural gas found in southern Utah. There’s lots of concern over sustainability and pollution, but it’s much better than coal. Carbon County recently stopped coal mining as an energy source. Coal is far less efficient, more polluting, and warmer. Jurassic Spark aims to maximize efficiency and minimize pollution. It’s completely off-grid, and the projected power generation could power three fourths of Utah’s entire power consumption, meaning a possible decrease in energy bills.
Secondly, Valar Atomics is a brand-new concept of nuclear energy, designed to minimize the size of nuclear generation. Many believe that nuclear energy is dangerous and toxic. However, this is only due to historical open testing. Atomic bomb testing in the past has caused disease, mutations and countless losses among Utahns from windblown nuclear waste. Valar Atomics is much different. They operate contained fissions inside secure vessels to maximize safety and sustainability.
Overall, the energy projects in Carbon County are cleaner, safer, and more efficient than the coal-based alternative. Utahns shouldn’t be peeved over these projects, they should welcome the new ideas. Utah is accelerating towards the future of energy. The only question is if its residents are ready to keep up.
Abe Leishman, Holladay