Utah pushes forward on plans to develop small nuclear reactors.
Hits & Misses
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Miss: Chain Reaction
In the age of postpubescent DOGE-bros, it makes total sense that Utah would want to put its nuclear future in the hands of a 25-year-old high school dropout. To give Isaiah Taylor his due, he did teach himself to code and apparently to persuade energy-hungry government officials of his vision. The Salt Lake Tribune calls for caution, although Gov. Spencer Cox seems giddy over fast-tracking a small nuclear facility that purports to offer energy to data centers and spark national interest, for what it's worth. Taylor hasn't yet built anything—but by gosh, we just know he will. And in one of his multitudinous executive orders, Cox's lord and savior Donald Trump calls to speed up approvals for small reactors. The Utah News Dispatch points to the billions of dollars nuclear would cost the state, despite cheaper renewable sources. And by billions, we mean far above the entire state budget for 2025.
Miss: Death and Taxes
Utahns did vote to put Donald Trump back in the White House, but not in the numbers of other red states. Still, Trump seems to be flying high, even as tariffs, grocery prices and social services are taking a hit in the gut. The Hill reports that the president's approval is trending up for reasons only older Trump supporters can tell you. Of the many curious targets of the administration is Medicaid, whose fate under the "Big Beautiful Bill" is uncertain at best. There are so many promises—and threats. If you heard Sen. Joni Ernst remind her constituents that "Well, we are all going to die," that may show you the depths of compassion from the GOP elite. While representatives say that the people who need Medicaid will be protected, it all depends on how you define "need." Analysts say some 80,000 Utahns could lose coverage and the state itself would lose $381 million from federal Medicaid cuts. The good news is "we're all going to die" anyway.
Hit: Condo Attitude
Well, let's try this since communities don't like high-rise apartments—the starter condo may be just the ticket to home ownership. The governor likes the idea. Developers could "take advantage of smaller and odd-sized lots, particularly around public transit stations," the governor's senior adviser Steve Waldrip told the Deseret News. There could be legislation to make insurance more affordable and to cut some of the federal regulations. The positive aspect of the starter- condo idea is potentially narrowing the wealth gap between renters and owners. That is if they get built and bought. KUTV ran a cautionary story about a Kearns neighborhood built by Habitat for Humanity where HOA fees skyrocketed from $20 to $300 each month. Maybe the Legislature has a plan to fix that.
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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