Clean energy journalism for a cooler tomorrow

Utah

Data centers

Nuclear-powered data centers? It’s a tough sell in Utah coal country.

To power two new data centers, companies are planning a giant gas plant and 456 small nuclear reactors in Carbon County. Locals are pushing back.
By Leia Larsen .

three white guys talking under an airplane wing
Isaiah Taylor, CEO of Valar Atomics, left, speaks to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, center, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright at Hill Air Force Base in Utah on Feb. 15, 2026. Valar Atomics plans to build 456 small modular nuclear reactors in Utah. (AP Photo/Matthew Daly)

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