Carbon County, Utah, once mined nearly 10 million tons of coal a year, but that industry collapsed by 2023. Now two new energy projects are moving in to power data centers: Valar Atomics wants to build 456 small modular reactors on federal land, and Altigen Energy plans a massive natural gas plant. The projects have drawn sharp local opposition from residents who worry about the proximity to homes and the storage of radioactive waste.
Longtime residents like Cindy O'Neil and Cheryl Lupo say the community is being pushed aside. O'Neil, whose husband worked in coal mines, compares the new risks to the black lung and explosions the county endured. Lupo, running for county commission, says she collected 300 signatures and found overwhelming opposition. She links the nuclear plans to her mother's death from downwind fallout of 1950s weapons testing. County commissioners, however, claim a "silent majority" supports the projects.
State officials have welcomed Valar, allowing it to test its microreactor in a neighboring county. The Utah Trust Lands Administration leased a square mile to Valar for up to 100 years, expecting $35 million in rent over 50 years for schools. Valar says it achieved a sustained fission reaction in June and plans a 30-megawatt AI data center with Nvidia. But small modular reactors have never been commercially deployed in the US, and even the board chair admitted uncertainty about what to ask.
The tension reflects a familiar boom-and-bust cycle. Residents fear trading coal's known dangers for untested nuclear technology, while officials see a rare economic lifeline. The article notes that none of the new plans involve coal, but the county's history of sacrifice looms over the debate.