DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — Over the last few weeks, Denver7's Douglas County Reporter Tyler Melito has been learning about a possible, long-term development for Douglas County: the construction of small modular reactors in the county.
SMRs are smaller sized nuclear plants, a newer type of technology designed to produce carbon-free electricity.
On the Douglas County County Commissioners June 30 work session agenda, one of the items was a follow-up for a potential feasibility study of SMR sites in DougCo. During that meeting, discussion on the matter was skipped and tabled for a later date.
DougCo County Commissioner George Teal told Melito that while they are still in the very early stages of considering an SMR in Douglas County, it is a technology he and the county officials are intrigued by.
"It's been a safe technology. It's obviously a great power plant source for naval vessels," Teal said. "There is work being done, I guess, right now to actually have civilian uses. Under Colorado state law right now, nuclear power is considered to be a renewable resource and a renewable form of energy."
With a feasibility study potentially being in the works soon, Teal shared what he would like to see from a study.
"I'd like to see what would we build as our regulatory framework," Teal said. "I don't see a future where we have a department of nuclear energy in the county. Where are the vulnerabilities, where are the advantages, where would be best to go, and where we should not put it?"
Teal adds the research into SMRs would be not just for the short term, but for the future.
"I do want us to have the option that if we have a business that wants to move into the county, and they want that independent power source, I want to at least have a game plan for them," Teal said. "I'd rather we do this work now, even if it's work that's not going to really come to fruition in a regulatory environment for 20, 30 years, so that we can keep learning and we can keep being better, and we can do something."
Some residents, like Brian Thomas of Parker, are open to the idea of SMRs in DougCo.
"From the research that I've done, the small modular reactors are are much more efficient," Thomas told Melito.
But Thomas did note some concerns.
"I think I would have to know how close to the population it's going to be, and I would need to know what kind of resources they're going to need to use in order to run this facility," Thomas said.
Thomas also expressed worry over what SMRs could mean for the county's open space.
"The more we pack in homes, the less of that we have," Thomas said. "So if you're talking about a nuclear reactor, a data center, or even houses, I think the more we use up, the less we have to enjoy."
Dr. Jenifer Shafer, Ben L. Fryer Presidential Chair in Energy at the Colorado School of Mines, studies nuclear energy and waste.
She told Melito that SMRs don't carry the same danger as larger nuclear plants, particularly in the U.S.
"There are many actions that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is the federal commission that oversees nuclear safety, has taken to implement lessons learned," Shafer said. "When you look at the operational safety basis of the U.S. reactor fleet, I'd say that there is very little data to suggest that that type of thing could happen, given our safety record, which is largely considered to be the gold standard worldwide."
Shafer also says SMRs are easier to cool, thus using less water, or even no water at all.
"Arguably, that heat management becomes easier the smaller the reactor gets," explained Shafer. "All of our operating fleet in the U.S. is cooled with water, but there are some other coolants out there that could also provide some safety benefit with respect to some of the accident scenarios."
All in all, Shafer said she is confident SMRs could be a big part of our future.
"I'm absolutely sure that this is something that you could see in the future," Shafer said. "As people continue to look at these technologies potentially to power other aspects of our lives, whether this is data centers, etc. ... this is something that can absolutely be very powerful for our communities and helping them meet their energy demands.
As this is still a conversation in the early stages in Douglas County, let Tyler know your thoughts on SMRs. You can email him at Tyler.Melito@denver7.com
