Mayor Johnston and Washington emphasized they're hoping small modular nuclear reactors are a viable energy source as Denver International Airport anticipates more growth and passengers.

Denver

Denver International Airport is exploring the potential of building small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) to address its increasing electricity requirements. This initiative comes after the passage of a state law that now recognizes nuclear energy as a clean energy source, making it eligible for new grants. City leaders, including the mayor and airport CEO, believe SMRs could provide reliable power and help avoid outages, but the idea has sparked debate among community members and environmental groups.

A feasibility study, expected to take up to a year and cost over $1 million, will assess whether SMRs can be implemented at the airport. The reactors, if built, would be located underground on airport property. Critics cite concerns about cost, construction time, and nuclear waste, while supporters argue that modern technology and policy can address these issues. The project remains in the conceptual phase, with no final decision made.

Denver airport will explore nuclear energy

One of those new laws adds nuclear energy to the state's list of clean energy options. It was a contentious decision, years in the making, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pushing back and making some revisions. But under House Bill 1040, nuclear energy qualifies for new state grants, expanding the state's options to meet the growing electrical needs. And Denver International Airport is capitalizing on this move today. They are exploring the possibility of building a nuclear reactor to meet the growing need for electricity. It's an idea drawing applause, but it's also drawing some pushback. Denver 7's Veronica Acosta is listening to the community's concerns and getting a grasp why city leaders believe this is the solution to a growing airport hub. Wind and solar have long been the renewable energy sources, but now nuclear energy could be coming to the Denver International Airport. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and DIA CEO Phil Washington announced their solution to a need for more reliable energy sources that can provide enough power to sustain growth and avoid power outages like those we've seen at other airports like London's Heathrow. City leaders want to study the possibility of building small modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs, at DIA. These SMRs could generate anywhere from about 40 megawatts up to almost 400 megawatts of power. That would be more than enough to power the entire needs of the airport. What is a small modular nuclear reactor? When we think of nuclear reactors, we see those enormous stacks with steam coming out of the top of them. Small modular reactors are just that. They're much smaller. Some of them are only in the kilowatt range or just a few megawatts. Thomas Albrecht, a professor at the Colorado School of Mines, says SMRs are powered with uranium, and he believes in their feasibility. But critics like Patricia Garcia Nelson with Green Latinos say opting for this kind of energy source isn't a solution in her mind. They cost too much, they take too long to build. We have a lot of concerns. Among those, nuclear waste and where it would go, though Albrecht argues that's more of a policy question than a technical one. We know what to do with nuclear waste. You can recycle it and minimize the amount that you have to put in deep geological repositories. Mayor Johnston and the airport CEO say the study to determine whether this is even possible could take up to a year and will cost the airport more than $1 million. And this is just an idea right now, but if it happens, these SMRs would be built underground on the DIA campus, and they would be stackable too. In Denver, I'm Veronica Acosta, Denver 7. Really interesting, and going in depth, there has only ever been one nuclear power facility in Colorado, and it didn't last long, the Fort St. Vrain Nuclear Power Plant. The Colorado Energy Office reports this plant began operation in 1979. It was technically successful, but it did not survive commercially. It frequently encountered control malfunctions and had to be shut down often for repairs. It stopped operating as a nuclear facility back in 1989, and Fort St. Vrain was then converted to a conventional natural gas-powered combustion facility, still operating today in Platteville. Something else interesting about this proposed project, it will be very similar to the system NASA is trying to put on the moon. Denver 7 first told you about NASA's plans to fast-track a nuclear reactor for the moon earlier this week. NASA says nuclear power is key to building bases, supporting crews, and staying there long-term. The U.S. wants to get a reactor there first to establish a permanent presence before other nations. In the next two months, NASA plans to get industry input, then award a contract, and begin development within six months.

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New York

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Moscow

Ukraine Invasion

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Kyiv

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Breakdown