Carbon County, Utah, built its economy on coal, but mining stopped in 2023. Now the region is being pitched as a site for data centers powered by nuclear reactors and natural gas.
Valar Atomics wants to build 456 small modular reactors—a technology not yet commercially deployed in the U.S.—on a square mile of state-owned land leased for up to 100 years. The "Project Beehive" would also process nuclear fuel, desalinate water, and host data centers, generating $35 million in lease rents over 50 years for Utah schools. A separate project, Altigen Energy's "Jurassic Spark," would add a large natural gas plant and data center on 1,200 acres.
Some local officials and workers support the projects as needed jobs. But longtime residents like Cheryl Lupo say they feel unheard and fear nuclear waste and accidents. Cindy O'Neil, whose husband worked in coal mines, says the county does not have to accept "table scraps." The article notes Utah's history of downwind nuclear-testing fallout, which shapes some opposition.
The county commission backs the projects, while some residents are "up in arms." The chair of the state trust lands board admitted uncertainty, saying, "We weren't always sure what to ask about." No coal is involved, but the debate echoes the old trade-offs between energy jobs and local health.