Latest news with #CarlAlbrecht
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Utah turning a new page to embrace nuclear energy? Poll shows many Utahns would support the move
It took some wrangling, many iterations and a flurry of action during the final night of the state Legislature, but a bill that sets Utah on an exploratory path to pursue small nuclear plants as a power source gained endorsement by lawmakers. HB249, sponsored by Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, establishes a framework called the nuclear consortium made of top elected leaders, policymakers and experts in the nuclear industry, such as representatives from Idaho National Laboratory. It also sets up the Utah Energy Council and provides for energy zones. The pursuit, at this stage, has buy-in from the Utah public, with 49% who say they are in favor of the idea, while 31% are in opposition and another 19% are undecided according to a recent Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll. Those numbers are based on the polling of 805 registered voters in an assessment conducted Feb.18-25 by HarrisX Interactive. It has a margin of error of plus or minus of 3.1%. Albrecht said the numbers reflected in the poll are about where he figured the state would land. 'I figured there'd be 50% in favor and about 25 to 30% opposed,' he said. 'I don't have a problem with that. You know, there's got to be a lot of education done.' Of course the measure does not mean a nuclear facility is going to pop up overnight. There's a lot of research to be done. There is site suitability, the costs involved, the fuel source has to be figured out and identifying energy development zones. All this is going to take time. There are safety considerations and the issue of waste. There is also a protracted and expensive regulatory process. It took over $500 million and millions of pages of documents for the NuScale project at Idaho National Laboratory to serve some Utah cities, but it ultimately failed because of costs and licensing duration. Last year, however, President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan piece of legislation into law called the ADVANCE Act. World Nuclear News reported the law is designed to accomplish an expedited process for advance nuclear technologies. 'The ADVANCE Act, among other things, directs the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to look for ways to speed up its licensing process for new nuclear technology,' it reported. " It will reduce regulatory costs for companies seeking to license advanced nuclear reactor technologies, as well as creating a 'prize' to incentivize the successful deployment of next-generation reactor technologies. It will also direct the NRC to enhance its ability to qualify and license accident-tolerant fuels and advanced nuclear fuels.' Again, all this is going to take time, but Albrecht emphasized during testimony at the state Legislature that Utah has to start somewhere. With data centers knocking on the doors of states looking to set up shop, legislative supporters say who gets it right to meet the energy demand will build a stronger, more diverse economic community. The Idaho National Laboratory has identified the Beehive State as one of a handful of states across the nation ideally suited to pursue nuclear as an energy source and as a vehicle for economic development. The Frontiers Initiative, established three years ago, seeks to marry the efforts of eight states that are creating economic development plans focused on the use of advanced nuclear energy. Utah is among half of those states designated as a state that is uniquely positioned and ahead of the game in this arena. 'We have strengthened our position with stakeholders in first mover states — Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Alaska — while adding engagements where increasing interest in advanced nuclear energy intersects with industry needs, including in Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, and South Carolina,' said Steve Aumeier, senior adviser at INL, has said.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
With more local input, Legislature signs on to the beginning of Utah's nuclear future
Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, works at his desk on the House floor at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) After a tense conference and behind-the-scenes negotiations, a resolution was reached on whether a new Utah Energy Council will be mandated to collaborate with cities and counties on new nuclear energy development zones. Initially, the Senate fought to keep some flexibility in those collaborations, but that was a hard line for municipalities. Now, after four versions of HB249, sponsored by Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, consensus was reached on the second-to-last day of the Utah legislative session. In the final version, the energy council 'shall' negotiate with counties or municipalities on the tax distribution in the new zones, ending debate that hinged on the choice of a single word. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Local governments will now have a say in the bill. They were concerned as we discussed it last night,' Albrecht said after the Thursday conference. 'I will say, staff just informed me that we have not had a conference committee that ended in adjournment without a decision since 1998.' After the changes, the bill passed on Thursday afternoon with most Democrats voting in opposition. It will now go to Gov. Spencer Cox's desk for a final consideration — which is highly likely since this bill has sat on top of his priority list, especially after he announced Operation Gigawatt, an effort to double energy production in Utah. Nuclear energy bill hangs on a single word as cities and counties fight for a say The issue of whether the state would be mandated to collaborate with municipalities had raised concerns for cities and counties, which were smarting from a recent debate over what could have been a powerful state entity with the authority to supersede some local decisions, the Beehive Development Agency — which ended up not moving forward this year. Brandy Grace, chief executive officer of the Utah Association of Counties, one of the groups that was most concerned about the potential of removing local control over these nuclear energy zones, said during the conference that she was grateful for the change. 'We recognize that these baseload projects that the fourth amendment addresses will more than likely be developed in unincorporated areas of the counties,' Grace said, 'so we appreciate the response to our request to be at the table when those negotiations are happening.' The changes weren't enough for four Senate and 10 House Democrats to sign on to the law, however. Some of the concerns the minority caucus brought up weren't addressed in the final version. Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Millcreek, who is also a renewable energy advocate, said that his position didn't really depend on the word change. This iteration, he still believes, will lead to top-down decisions and a lack of community input. Sure, there needs to be a way to streamline how to develop that energy infrastructure in the state, he said. However, eliminating the only two minority party appointees from the authority's composition takes away 'some of the balanced representation on the committee.' 'I think that's the wrong move. We have a supermajority here in Utah. They're going to have their way with things, but to just totally steamroll political opposition is not the way forward,' Blouin said, 'especially projects that are going to require local input.' After initially including a combined $2.6 million for HB249 and nuclear energy for Operation Gigawatt, legislative leaders on Thursday agreed to fund $8.25 million more for nuclear Operation Gigawatt projects. The initial request from the governor was $20 million. But, even those $20 million wouldn't go a long way for nuclear energy, Blouin said, so he worries the vast majority of the cost for these projects would have to be paid by local communities. 'We're looking at these tax increments on these big development projects that are going to be diverted from local communities and back into these new entities that we're creating,' he said. 'And we've seen that all over the place these little carve-outs for favorite industries and favorite people, and takes money out of the local counties and takes oversight and input out of the local stakeholders.' Another change introduced in the latest iteration of the bill makes another single-word distinction: 'baseload.' The projects that would be possible because of the bill would be those involving energy sources that could be turned on and off as needed. That means coal, natural gas, geothermal, and anything that could provide power 24/7, Albrecht said. 'Wind and solar are intermittent, but we'll still take them when the wind blows and the sun shines,' he added. Many aspects of this legislation may change in the future, as Utah may see its first small modular reactor in a matter of decades. But, for now, Albrecht seems satisfied with being able to pass such a big bill after major hurdles. 'We've come to the party, we made a good decision,' he told the House before the last vote. 'It's a great bill, we're gonna enter the nuclear generation.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nuclear energy bill hangs on a single word as cities and counties fight for a say
Union Electric Callaway Nuclear Power Plant in Missouri. (Photo by) A bill laying the foundation for Utah's nuclear energy future was almost uncontroversial among lawmakers as it made its way through the Legislature — until it hit a rough spot with an update introduced in the Senate. HB249, sponsored by Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, establishes the Nuclear Energy Consortium and the Utah Energy Council, subdivisions of the Utah Office of Energy Development, which would study the ways Utah could produce nuclear energy, alongside Idaho National Laboratory, some industry players and other academics. It also facilitates the construction of power plants, transmission lines and energy storage facilities. Senators who opposed the bill didn't do it because they are against nuclear energy. They did it because signing on would mean a loss of some local control for municipalities if the new groups have an option rather than a requirement to collaborate with them on energy projects. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Those of you who are getting your phones blown up by your county commissioners, by your clerks, and I am, too,' Albrecht told the House on Wednesday. 'Relax, take a pill, cool your jets, we're going to fix this in committee.' But that resolution didn't come true as of Wednesday night. After the House refused to accept those changes, the bill sponsors and other lawmakers met in a conference to find middle ground on the bill. But, the main issue remained in the choice of a single word that, for local governments, would either make or break how much involvement municipalities will have in future energy projects — may or shall. Will the bill specify the new state-appointed energy council 'may,' or the council 'shall,' collaborate with cities and counties to determine the fate of the new energy development zones? Currently, with the Senate's version, the bill uses 'may.' According to Brandy Grace, chief executive officer of the Utah Association of Counties, it should be 'shall.' Not including a mandatory provision 'takes away our ability to be at the table to talk about land use authority and property tax,' she told lawmakers at the table. That, Grace said, is a hard line for counties. A plan for Utah nuclear energy industry's foundation is taking shape 'We want to be collaborative, but the message you're sending is that you don't,' Grace said. 'By saying you 'may' coordinate, you're sending a message that you're really not interested in working with local government.' Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden, the floor sponsor in the Senate and author of the updated version of the bill, disputed that argument and said the reason why the state cannot immediately commit to collaborate with cities and counties is because 'we don't know what those projects are going to look like' when they are ready for prime time decades from now. Cameron Diehl, executive director of the Utah League of Cities and Towns, also advocated for an update to 'shall.' He said it was important after spending the last week discussing the potential of SB337, which would have established the Beehive Development Agency, an office with ultimate planning power. According to Diehl, that 'may' means 'essentially, this state action could occur and preempt local land use, and preempt and take away that local revenue.' Lawmakers couldn't agree on definite language and may meet again sometime in the final two days of the session. Earlier, on the floor, Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy, said he shared some of the concerns expressed by the counties, but more especially about their ability to welcome other clean energy sources, like wind and solar. 'What I'm hearing, though, is that this would preclude counties who are looking to do new developments for any type of energy (…) it would preclude community reinvestment areas in rural parts of the county that are looking to get new development,' Cullimore said, referring to wind and solar projects. 'They would only be able to do that for nuclear power and not other and a lot of other types of power.' The bill has been presented as a legislative priority for the majority caucus and Gov. Spencer Cox. Millner described the policy as especially important, 'particularly if we're going to meet the governor's goal to double our production capability in the next 10 years,' Millner said about Cox's Operation Gigawatt. But, with a split between the two chambers, lawmakers seem to be growing more and more frustrated. 'I just ask for everybody's cooperation and coordination as we move forward. That includes you, Ann (Millner), whoever else is in the room, the league, everyone,' Albrecht said during the conference. 'It's not a perfect bill, but by then, we're going to make it work, OK? Let's all work together.' Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Millcreek, also pointed out a change he considered problematic — the makeup of the energy council, which, under Millner's version eliminates the only two appointees from the minority caucus. The governor has concerns about who gets appointed to the council, Millner said in response, and does not want it to be a 'legislative-heavy' group. But, ultimately Blouin said that most of the talking points on the discussion didn't really address the essence of the issue. 'I don't think this is an anti-nuclear conversation that's being had. I think it's an anti-process conversation,' Blouin said on the floor. 'People are concerned about having local input or not having local input here, and the ramifications of trying to push big projects on the communities from the top down, which we've seen fail in the past and create more controversy.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legislative committee focused on plotting Utah's nuclear path
The effort to form the Utah Energy Council, create energy development zones and create a nuclear energy consortium passed on a unanimous vote from the Senate Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Committee on Thursday. HB249 by Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, is a measure with a lot of moving parts with areas that will likely need to be tweaked in the years to come. Albrecht has insisted, however, it is a solid start to give Utah's energy portfolio a more diverse and solid future. It is a bill that to position the state to meet growing residential. industrial and commercial demand. The Legislature this session is flush with energy bills, with leadership identifying energy as a top priority and one of the most pressing issues in Utah. The bill by Albrecht does not mean advanced nuclear technology will pop up immediately in the state, but the consortium is tasked with making decisions based on science and what is most appropriate in Utah. House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, spoke favorably about the bill during a recent media availability. 'Nuclear is so much safer now. We are running into energy crisis in our nation. It's seen as most efficient and clean for our future,' he said. 'If we're not going to go to nuclear, what are we going to go to?' He added: 'We have more requests for data centers in Utah than energy we use as a state. Whoever controls AI controls the world. We need more energy. We have an energy shortage. I'm glad the rest of the nation has come on board where Utah has been.' Utah has been identified as a 'first mover' state — only one of a handful — by the Idaho National Laboratory's Frontier Project. That designation means Utah is positioned well to embrace nuclear, not only from a carbon free standpoint but as a way to stimulate economic development. Utah was on the cusp of bringing a small modular reactor to life to serve independent power systems run by municipalities. Named the Carbon Free Power Project, the reactors would have been manufactured off-site and then trucked to the Idaho National Laboratory. The project pushed by the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems went through a laborious permitting process through the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was the first small modular reactor in the country to receive a stamp of approval on its design. But the delays and the escalating costs associated with the energy production eventually led to shelving the project, but UAMPS officials have said it is not totally off the table if costs come down. Congress is in the midst of tackling the permitting process and passed the ADVANCE Act to streamline the licensing process by the NRC. At a conference last year in Park City, the dedication for the transformation to nuclear energy was clear among top political leaders in Utah. The Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, and state Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, both said that the state has to aggressively pursue next generation nuclear technology if it is going to cut carbon emissions and meet energy demands. 'We want this to come to Utah,' Curtis, now Utah's junior senator, said at the time. 'We want to be a big part of this. We're ready for nuclear facilities here in our state, and we have communities who would welcome that. We have a lot of people in traditional energy sources that this would be very beneficial to them, and we're excited about that.'
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utah readies itself to expand nuclear energy generation
The Utah House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill that sets up the Utah Energy Council, establishes energy development zones and creates a nuclear energy consortium as the state eyes a more secure, carbon free future. HB249 by Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, has a lot of moving parts and he conceded it will be tweaked in the coming years, long after he is gone. He told his House colleagues he is fine with that. 'Politicians are like dirty diapers, every once in awhile they need to be changed.' The state Legislature is flush with energy bills, with leadership identifying energy as a top priority and one of the most pressing issues in Utah. The bill does not mean advanced nuclear technology will pop up immediately in the state, but the consortium is tasked with making decisions based on science and what is most appropriate in the state. Albrecht said the bill grew out of tours taken by an energy working group made up of both state senators and representatives. They visited the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls and toured the White Mesa Mill in Blanding. 'This started out as a bill structured for the future of nuclear energy in the state, and ended up as a bill to set up a structure for all energy in the future of the state: gas plants, geothermal, battery storage, wind, solar transmission projects, and as you well know, energy production and reliability is a statewide issue.' Albrecht explained other aspects of the bill. 'This bill creates zones, energy development zones, establishing a process for counties and municipalities to apply for an electric development zone designation. These zones are identified for their suitability in hosting future energy infrastructure and their proximity to transmission lines. The zones could come to the council from counties and municipalities,' he said. 'To keep the energy projects from pitting one county against the other, as we've seen with some retail incentives, public incentives are not allowed unless the project is inside of a zone.' House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, spoke favorably about the bill on Thursday during media availability. 'Nuclear is so much safer now. We are running into energy crisis in our nation. It's seen as most efficient and clean for our future,' he said. 'If we're not going to go to nuclear, what are we going to go to?' He added: 'We have more requests for data centers in Utah than energy we use as a state. Whoever controls AI controls the world. We need more energy. We have an energy shortage. I'm glad the rest of the nation has come on board where Utah has been.' Utah has been identified as a 'first mover' state — only one of a handful — by the Idaho National Laboratory's Frontier Project. That designation means Utah is positioned well to embrace nuclear, not only from a carbon free standpoint but as a way to stimulate economic development. Utah is not alone in its quest to plug nuclear energy into the grid. This week, the Texas A&M University System announced it had offered land near the campus to four nuclear companies for the development of small modular reactors. Until now, reactor manufacturers — along with the most powerful names in big tech — have not been able to find a suitable place to build clusters of nuclear reactors that can supply the power needed for artificial intelligence endeavors, data centers and other projects. 'Plain and simple: the United States needs more power,' said Chancellor John Sharp. 'And nowhere in the country, other than Texas, is anyone willing to step up and build the power plants we need. Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott and others in Texas state government, Texas A&M System stands ready to step up and do what is necessary for the country to thrive.' Chief executive officers from four nuclear companies — Kairos Power, Natura Resources, Terrestrial Energy and Aalo Atomics — all have agreed to work to bring reactors to Texas A&M-RELLIS, a 2,400-acre technology and innovation campus in Bryan, Texas, as part of a project dubbed 'The Energy Proving Ground.' At the site, the companies will work toward bringing commercial-ready technologies to the land and using the project to test the latest prototypes. The first reactors could be constructed within five years. Once it is completed, power generated at the proving ground could supply power to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, as it is more commonly called. Utah was on the cusp of bringing a small modular reactor to life to serve independent power systems run by municipalities. Named the Carbon Free Power Project, the reactors would have been manufactured off-site and then trucked to the Idaho National Laboratory. The project pushed by the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems went through a laborious permitting process through the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was the first small modular reactor in the country to receive a stamp of approval on its design. But the delays and the escalating costs associated with the energy production eventually led to shelving the project, but UAMPS officials have said it is not totally off the table if costs come down. Congress is in the midst of tackling the permitting process and passed the ADVANCE Act to streamline the licensing process by the NRC. Top tech companies are attempting to solve the problem on their own by inking contracts with nuclear energy companies to provide the energy they need. They include Google and Amazon.
