Denver International Airport, the country\u2019s third-busiest airport, is exploring the possibility of building a small nuclear reactor on its campus to help meet growing demands for electricity and cut the use of carbon-emitting power.<\/p>\n
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Phil Washington, airport CEO, said Wednesday that DIA has put out a request for proposals for a study on the feasibility of building a small modular nuclear reactor onsite. The module reactors under development in the U.S. are significantly smaller in size than a conventional nuclear facility and produce a fraction of the power.<\/p>\n
Washington said the airport is expected to see more than 120 million passengers by 2045. A record-breaking 82.3 million traveled through DIA in 2024<\/a>, up 5.8% from 2023. He said during a news conference that the airport will need a sustainable power supply to meet the demands of airport assets, safety and customer experience goals.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is really a one-of-a-kind work that we\u2019re doing,\u201d Washington said. \u201cWe are creating and introducing a new application for small modular reactors in the aviation space, in the airport space.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnston said if the study shows that small nuclear reactors are a feasible option, DIA could become \u201cthe greenest airport in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d be the first airport with on-site, zero-emissions energy generation,\u201d Johnston added.<\/p>\n There are 94 commercial nuclear power reactors operating in the U.S., but small modular reactors are not among them. A few of the smaller reactors are running in Russia and China, but they are still in the development phase in this country.<\/p>\n The Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensed two reactor designs<\/a> by NuScale Power Corp. The Idaho National Laboratory<\/a> is working with companies and the Department of Energy to test and demonstrate the technology.<\/p>\n However, it could be five to 10 years before small module reactors are up and running in the U.S., said Mark Jensen, a chemistry professor at the Colorado School of Mines and director of the nuclear science and engineering program.<\/p>\n NuScale\u2019s project with a group of municipal power systems in Utah fell apart in 2023 when not enough subscribers signed up. The Deseret News<\/a> reported that subscribers started dropping out after the permitting process dragged on and costs became uncertain.<\/p>\n Asked why DIA wouldn\u2019t keep installing solar, wind and battery storage that are ready to go now, Johnston and Washington said the airport will keep expanding the use of renewable energy. Johnston said the city will continue to follow an \u201call-of-the-above, non-fossil-fuel energy strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n The Denver airport, the sixth-busiest in the world, gets its electricity from Xcel Energy. About 30% of its electricity comes from solar energy. Washington said the airport has increased its electric vehicle fleet and is saving electricity, natural gas and water through energy efficiency measures.<\/p>\n Interest in small modular nuclear reactors has grown along with concerns about climate change and forecasts of escalating demands for electricity, driven in part by the spread of power-intensive data centers.<\/a> More electric vehicles on the roads and electrification of buildings are also generating the push for more power on the grid.<\/p>\n Xcel, Colorado\u2019s largest electric utility, said the demand on its system<\/a> could grow at a compounded rate of 4% through 2031, compared with an average annual rate of 0.7% over the past five years.<\/p>\n The Colorado General Assembly<\/a> passed a law this year that adds nuclear power to the list of clean energy resources. Utilities can use it to meet state clean energy goals.<\/p>\n An advisory committee of labor, business and civic leaders recommended that Xcel Energy consider building small reactors<\/a> when it closes the Comanche coal plant in Pueblo by the end of 2030.<\/p>\n While reversing several of the Biden administration\u2019s renewable energy incentives and programs<\/a>, the Trump administration<\/a> has directed the Department of Energy to use \u201call available legal authorities\u201d to approve the design and construction of advanced nuclear reactor technology.<\/p>\n Washington said efforts to build a nuclear reactor at DIA could attract federal funds.<\/p>\n