California-based energy company planning underground nuclear reactor in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah appears poised to become a future location of a California-based energy company’s underground nuclear reactor.

Deep Fission in September announced Utah, Texas and Kansas as the first three planned sites for the company’s testing of its small modular pressurized water reactors.

A release from the company said it has signed letters of intent with partners at each location to pursue joint development projects.

“We’re proud to collaborate with our partners in Texas, Utah and Kansas,” Liz Muller, co-founder and CEO of Deep Fission, said in a statement. “Together, we’re laying the groundwork for the next era of nuclear energy in the United States. These projects reflect the urgent demand for reliable, carbon-free baseload power, and we are excited to be part of the solution to fill that need.”

According to the company, the reactor will be housed in a borehole 1 mile underground, where the surrounding geology provides “billions of tons of natural shielding and passive containment.”

This, Deep Fission says, enhances safety, minimizes the reactor’s surface footprint and lowers the overall cost associated with running it.

Deep Fission on Tuesday held a groundbreaking for its first site at the Great Plains Industrial Park in Parsons, Kansas, according to reporting from KCUR.

But exactly where Utah’s reactor will be located is currently unknown, with a spokeswoman for Deep Fission telling KSL.com the company can’t share any details regarding the site.

Utah, nuclear and data centers

Utah is particularly keen on nuclear energy and many lawmakers believe the source represents the future of delivering the energy needed to keep the country humming.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced in November that Utah is partnering with two out-of-state companies to build “a complete civil nuclear energy ecosystem from start to finish” in Brigham City.

Cox has prioritized energy production in Utah, underscored by his administration’s Operation Gigawatt initiative, meant to bolster energy production. Nuclear is no exception, as he and other Utah lawmakers believe nuclear energy needs to be a key factor in meeting growing power needs.

“We need more energy. Utah needs more energy. The United States needs more energy. The free world needs more energy,” Stuart Adams, president of the Utah Senate, said during November’s announcement.

Part of that enthusiasm could be related to nuclear’s potential to power data centers crucial to the rise of artificial intelligence.

Millard County alone is set to become home to two massive AI-ready data centers, one of which is being billed as the world’s largest data center campus at 20 million square feet.

Federal filings from Deep Fission indicate data centers are indeed one of its target customers, with the company saying it expects to establish an “early leadership position in the data center power segment.”

“We can deliver power installations of 1.5 (gigawatts) or more for hyperscale data centers and other customers. This makes the platform uniquely suited to meet the explosive demand for power from artificial intelligence workloads, energy-intense manufacturing, and energy-constrained regions,” the filings said.

Deep Fission is part of a Trump administration-led pilot program designed to fast-track nuclear reactor development and deployment.

Pending authorization from the Department of Energy, Deep Fission aims to complete the construction of its inaugural reactor in Kansas and generate power by July 4, 2026, the company said in a release.

Though many details surrounding Deep Fission’s Utah plans have yet to be revealed, the state’s push to generate more nuclear energy appears to be advancing.