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Western Governors Rally Behind Nuclear Expansion as Oklo Breaks Ground in Idaho

Leaders point to surging electricity needs from AI-driven data centers to justify faster federal approvals.

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Idaho Gov. Brad Little, left, speaks while Gov. Spencer Cox and Idaho National Laboratory director John Wagner both listen during a panel discussion at the Energy Superabundance conference hosted by the Western Governors’ Association at Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls Monday., Sept. 22, 2025.
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Overview

  • Oklo held a ceremonial groundbreaking near Idaho Falls for its Aurora Powerhouse fast‑fission facility, joined by Govs. Spencer Cox and Brad Little, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and Idaho’s congressional delegation.
  • Speakers touted President Trump’s May executive orders to accelerate reactor licensing and pointed to the 14‑day approval of Utah’s Velvet‑Wood uranium mine as evidence of quicker decisions.
  • Valar Atomics began building a nuclear test reactor at Utah’s San Rafael Energy Lab in Orangeville in partnership with the state and the Department of Energy.
  • Western leaders advanced Cox’s Energy Superabundance push and highlighted Utah’s Operation Gigawatt goal to double statewide power by 2035 and triple it by 2050 to meet fast‑rising demand from AI, data centers, and electric vehicles.
  • DOE and NRC officials cited progress in fuel recycling but acknowledged that cooling water needs were largely unaddressed and that some radioactive waste will still require a long‑term repository.