JEROME, Idaho — As the Magic Valley grows, so does its demand for energy — and Jerome County leaders say they want to learn more about whether small modular nuclear reactors could be part of the solution.
In early July, communities across Idaho received an invitation from the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium asking which municipalities were interested in discussions about deploying small modular nuclear reactors.
Camille Barigar, executive director of Jerome 20/20, an economic development organization that attracts industry to Jerome County, said energy capacity is one of the first things she evaluates when considering new businesses.
Watch to hear what local officials think about the possibility of nuclear energy —
"As I look at industries that come into the community, one of the first things I look at is what are their power needs," Barigar said. "And if it is something that's off the charts or we can't do it and you just say that, you know, so you just you were looking for those industries that are going to be easy on the power grid."
Several companies have been working with Idaho National Laboratories to test small nuclear reactors, with the goal of advancing the technology. Barigar said the push has gained momentum at the federal level.
"President Trump issued kind of a challenge for these companies that are working on the new advanced nuclear energy, both the micro reactors and the small modular reactors To be up or to be critical by July 4," Barigar said.
Barigar said the region has reached a pivotal moment.
"Now we're at this this moment in time where I say it's like for the rubber meets the road," Barigar said.
Jerome County Commissioner Charlie Howell said public interest in nuclear energy has been consistent and positive compared to other energy proposals the county has fielded.
"I get more positive comments about nuclear and why aren't we pursuing that and then the other ones altogether but the other ones are not very well received but yet the nuclear still keeps coming up and saying, why aren't we doing that?" Howell said.
Howell said the county's request for information is non-binding and that no decisions would move forward without significant public input.
"But it's all about input, you know, I mean that's the biggest part of it. I'm not gonna say it's not gonna be the final decision but we listen," Howell said.
Jerome County's interest in nuclear energy comes amid a decade of energy-related discussions in the region, including proposed wind energy projects, plans for small nuclear reactors, and a draft county ordinance that would limit large-scale wind and solar energy development.
On July 20, the U.S. Economic Development Administration announced it would award approximately $31 million to the Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Corridor Tech Hub, a regional initiative of more than 45 organizations across Idaho and Wyoming led by the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium. The announcement was part of a broader $169 million award across 6 Tech Hubs.
The Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Corridor Tech Hub aims to leverage the region's existing nuclear manufacturing ecosystem to accelerate the deployment and commercialization of next-generation nuclear reactors, strengthen domestic nuclear supply chains, and enhance U.S. energy security.
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