The Carbon County Planning Commission approved Valar Economics’ conditional use permit application to build its proposed 640-acre Raceway Energy Campus in northeastern Utah on land managed by the state’s trust lands administration.
The permit does not allow the company to break ground immediately, though. The company still needs to apply for building permits, a county-approved traffic plan and federal approvals, such as an air quality permit from the Utah Division of Air Quality and a construction permit from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
During the meeting, the planning commission was not required to allow public comment, but there were over 200 residents in attendance. Some held opposing signs, and some were forced by sheriff’s deputies to leave the room.
The Raceway Campus is estimated to generate and consume approximately three gigawatts of electricity a year. The entire state of Utah uses approximately four gigawatts annually.
Valar plans to use “zero local water,” Head of Commercial Development Cory Gardner said.
“We recognize that may not be legal for us to do and truck water in, but we are going to look into that as our primary source,” he said.
Valar plans to begin powering the data center with an on-site natural gas plant and eventually build 40 to 120 nuclear reactors on site.
“Nuclear is the safest form of energy,” Max Ukropino, head of projects at Valar, said. “It’s even more safe than solar because too many old guys like myself are going on top of roofs and falling off.”
To learn more about Valar Economics, visit their website. SUU News will continue to follow the development of the Valar Economics data center campus project as information becomes available.
Author: Lainey Porter
Photo: Rick Egan, The Salt Lake Tribune
Editor: Payson Davis
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