Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado has broached the idea of pursuing small-scale nuclear power as a means of replacing decommissioned coal-fired power production, possibly in Moffat County where such a coal-fired plant is slated for eventual closure.
The group is pursuing federal funding as it explores the concept, which also has been raised for consideration by state Sen. Bob Rankin, R-Carbondale.
This week, Garfield County commissioners approved a letter supporting AGNC’s pursuit of a funding opportunity being provided by the federal Department of Energy to develop partnerships between the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy and various communities, including energy communities. According to information provided by DOE about the opportunity, “The Office of Nuclear Energy will work with partners to connect and interact with underserved communities that could benefit from nuclear energy projects to ensure that the growth produced by clean energy projects is equitably delivered to all.”
AGNC’s chairman, Garfield County Commissioner Mike Samson, said in a brief discussion by Garfield commissioners this week that a meeting is scheduled for Aug. 2 in Craig regarding the idea of possibly building a mini-nuclear plant where the current Craig Station coal-fired plant, operated by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, is located. That plant is slated for closure by 2030.
Samson said that the benefits of building a nuclear plant there, as it has been explained to him, include the skilled workforce that’s available there and the transmission lines that are already in place to deliver power from the plant.
“I think it would be a great blessing to northwest Colorado and I would encourage us to send that letter” of support, Samson said.
Shannon Scott, who is in charge of economic development for the city of Craig, said Thursday that the discussion of the idea is in its beginning stages and she hasn’t been as heavily involved in it.
“With it being so early on in the process I wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking on that just yet,” she said.
Efforts by The Daily Sentinel to reach two Moffat County commissioners and Rankin for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.
This year, Rankin sought passage of a bill requiring a study on the feasibility of using small modular nuclear reactors as a carbon-free energy source in the state. The bill didn’t make it out of committee.
The Garfield commissioners’ letter to the Office of Nuclear Energy said while “wind and solar have shown their potential, they clearly lack baseload capacity and 24/7 reliability.”
It goes on to ask, “Can we leverage northwest Colorado’s energy infrastructure for new technologies? Moreover, as these communities have done for decades, is there an opportunity to provide the baseload capacity and energy reliability that Colorado needs through northwest Colorado?”
It says the federal funding opportunity gives AGNC the latitude to facilitate a conversation at a regional level regarding consideration of replacing decommissioning coal-fired power plants with advanced nuclear technology.
A nuclear plant in Moffat County also would replace some of the tax revenues to be lost with the closure of the Craig Station.
The nuclear power idea was discussed at length with Rankin and others at AGNC’s June 15 meeting, according to meeting minutes. The minutes say that opponents to Rankin’s failed bill had brought up many environmental concerns. The June AGNC discussion touched on concerns any nuclear plant proposal will face, such as how to handle nuclear waste, and what danger earthquakes might pose.
Rankin reportedly told the AGNC that small nuclear modules are less susceptible to impacts from seismic activity.
