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The rise of artificial intelligence is igniting demand for nuclear power. By 2030, AI’s peak power requirements could exceed 50 gigawatts—more than half the current nuclear capacity in the United States. Meeting that demand will require not just upgrades to existing plants, but bold new nuclear development.

While many tech giants are working to restart or expand aging plants — most of which are clustered on the East Coast — the real frontier for innovation lies in the West, particularly in the realm of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

On August 12, under President Trump’s Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, the U.S. Department of Energy selected ten companies to develop 11 advanced reactor projects — seven of which are in western states.

• Idaho: Oklo, backed by OpenAI founder Sam Altman, is building its first commercial Aurora reactor, capable of producing up to 75 MW of electricity and heat. The self-stabilizing plant runs on recycled nuclear waste, initially sourced in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory from a reactor decommissioned in 1994.
• Texas: Aalo Atomics recently unveiled the first fully modular reactor (pictured) designed specifically for data centers. Its “XMR” (extra modular reactor) design can scale up from tens to thousands of megawatts as energy needs grow.
• California:
  • Deep Fission is developing a miniature reactor that will be installed in a 3,280-foot borehole. Doing so offers passive cooling, minimal environmental risk, and low cost.
  • Radiant Industries is developing the world’s first portable, mass-produced nuclear microreactor—small enough to be transported in a standard shipping container. The company will test its Kaleidos microreactor at Idaho National Laboratory and has agreements to deliver units to military bases. Idaho Strategic Resources is also exploring its use at The Golden Chest Mine.

Many more western startups are staking their claim in the nuclear race as well.

• Oregon: In May, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved a design from NuScale Power for its 77 megawatt SMR. NuScale remains the only SMR technology company with design approval from the NRC, and the company remains on track for deployment by 2030. Microsoft has already expressed interest in using the reactors to power data centers in Eastern Oregon.
• Texas: Fermi America, co-founded by former Texas Governor Rick Perry, is teaming up with Texas Tech University to create the world’s largest advanced energy and AI campus (pictured). It will integrate the nation’s largest private nuclear complex, its biggest combined-cycle natural gas facility, plus grid power, solar arrays, and battery storage—all designed to power next-gen AI workloads.

From massive energy campuses to reactors you can haul on a flatbed, the nuclear renaissance is taking shape—especially in the West. Nuclear will also be a centerpiece of Utah Governor Spencer Cox’s WGA Chair initiative, Energy Superabundance: Unlocking Prosperity in the West.

Where There’s Less Smoke, There’s Prescribed Fire: Prescribed burns are widely recognized as an effective wildfire mitigation tool. Now, using satellite imagery, land management records, and fire emissions data, a team of researchers at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability found that during the 2020 season, fires that burned over areas where prescribed fire was recently deployed were 16 percent less intense and emitted 220 fewer pounds of smoke per acre.

“One ton of prescribed fire smoke reduces 3.2 tons of future wildfire smoke,” said Makoto Kelp, the paper’s lead author.

To learn more about strategies for expanding the use of prescribed fire, watch a WGA webinar with officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Plugging Oil and Gas Wells: This week, the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) announced the recipients of a new grant program for the plugging and abandonment of marginal wells. In total, 30 operators will receive reimbursement grants for plugging 142 low-producing wells that are near the end of their life and account for disproportionately high levels of methane emissions relative to production rates. According to the ECMC, there are 922 orphaned wells in Colorado (pictured) that are eligible for grant funding through the Marginal Well Plugging Program.

“Plugging wells and preventing orphan wells is an important way to reduce pollution, improve Colorado’s air quality, and make communities safer. Improving air quality helps keep Coloradans and our communities active and healthy, strengthening our high quality of life. Plugging these wells will directly help lower emissions and reduce risks,” Colorado Governor Jared Polis said.

Water Efficient Lawns: St. George, Utah, and surrounding towns in Washington County have replaced nearly three million square feet of grass with water-efficient landscaping since 2023. That’s more residential lawn replacement per capita over the past two years than Las Vegas, a national leader in turf removal.

The Washington County Water Conservancy District launched its Water Efficient Landscape Program in December 2022. It offers rebates, including $2 per square foot up to 5,000 square feet and $1 per square foot for more than 5,000 square feet of lawn replaced. Interest from St. George area residents has been increasing each year, with lawn conversions more than doubling since 2023, according to the district.

Hot Off the Presses: After the Illinois-based News Media Corporation shuttered eight local newspapers in Wyoming last week, Robb and Jen Hicks, along with Rob Mortimore, announced that they will purchase all eight of the newspapers and continue operating them at full capacity. The sale agreement calls for rehiring all newspaper staff and immediately resuming publication of all titles.

The Return of Wood Bison: Alaska's wood bison, once hunted to extinction about a century ago, are making a comeback. In May, 61 wood bison were released in the Minto Flats State Game Refuge, about 50 miles southwest of Fairbanks. The Minto Flats herd is the second to be reintroduced into the wild in the US. In 2015, the state Fish and Game Department released a herd to the Lower Yukon and Innoko River area in western Alaska. While harsh winters have made it hard, biologists report the herds are making steady progress. If population numbers continue to increase, hunting may be allowed in a decade.