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Utah and Texas sue federal government to ease regulations on SMRs

January 13, 2025
Utah and Texas, alongside nuclear developer Last Energy, have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), seeking to ease regulations they claim hinder the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors. The plaintiffs argue that the NRC licenses required for the construction and operation of these facilities are “incredibly costly,” rendering such projects economically unfeasible.

According to the filing, these smaller nuclear reactors are more cost-effective, require less nuclear fuel, and do not pose a threat to public health or safety. However, Last Energy said it was forced to abandon a $2 million SMR project in Texas due to “prohibitive federal regulations.” The plaintiffs contend that the NRC’s rules for small nuclear reactors “hinder the development of safe and reliable nuclear power.”

“The NRC imposes complicated, costly and time-intensive requirements that even the smallest and safest SMRs and microreactors — down to those not strong enough to power an LED lightbulb — must satisfy to acquire and maintain a construction and operating license,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit follows recent moves in both states to bolster nuclear energy. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox recently announced “Operation Gigawatt,” a $20.4 million initiative to develop carbon-free nuclear power infrastructure in the state. Meanwhile, in Texas, the state’s Public Utility Commission has recommended expanding nuclear energy to improve grid reliability and energy security.

Critics, including the group Utah Citizens Advocating Renewable Energy, have voiced concerns about the potential risks of loosening federal regulations. The group argues the lawsuit’s claims about how safe SMRs are may be misleading and that regulations are necessary to ensure public safety.

“It’s totally disingenuous for them to say that this is safe and that there’s basically no danger,” Stanley Holmes, outreach coordinator for Utah Citizens Advocating Renewable Energy, said. “They’re trying to have the NRC dumb down, or weaken, its standards.”

A spokesperson for the NRC stated that the agency will address the lawsuit in court filings.
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With 2 monuments in Calif, Biden creates largest protected tract of land in lower 48

January 7, 2025
In his final days in office, President Joe Biden is making history with the creation of two new national monuments in California. This action cements his legacy as the president who has protected the most land and water in U.S. history, according to Reuters.

On Tuesday, Jan. 7, Biden will sign proclamations designating Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument along the northern border.

These latest declarations reflect the cultural significance of Indigenous tribes and their nations, while also fostering renewable energy development for local communities.

Tribal leaders have long urged the federal government to safeguard their ancestral lands and wildlife from future development and Biden’s move answers those calls.

Chuckwalla will become part of the largest protected land corridor in the U.S., stretching over half a million acres from Utah to southern California. The monument will create a new Moab to Mohave Conservation Corridor, an 18 million-acre tract spanning 600 miles.

The White House noted the Chuckwalla National Monument will preserve habitats for rare species and protect the ancestral homelands of the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan and Serrano Nations.

Further north, the Sáttítla Highlands will protect over 200,000 acres across three national forests, preserving critical ecosystems and natural resources.

In a statement, the Biden-Harris administration highlighted that the new monuments are aligned with the America the Beautiful initiative. The initiative aims to conserve 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

The move also follows Biden’s recent decision to impose a sweeping ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along nearly all U.S. coastlines, further advancing his administration’s environmental goals.

Under federal law, presidents can designate or modify national monuments to honor sites of cultural, historical or scientific importance. However, future administrations have the authority to reverse such actions.

Since taking office, Biden has established 12 new national monuments and restored three others. These actions have secured more than 674 million acres of federal land and ocean for conservation.
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Phoenix may trade water rights for $300M amid Colorado River drought

December 20, 2024
The Colorado River, a critical water source for approximately 40 million people, faces mounting challenges due to a prolonged drought. In response, officials are considering measures to alleviate the strain, including the possibility of compensating some communities to relinquish their water rights.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is currently in discussions with the city of Phoenix, Arizona, to strike such a deal. Under the proposed agreement, Phoenix would give up a portion of its Colorado River water allocation in exchange for up to $300 million in federal funding. These funds would be allocated toward the construction of an advanced water purification plant.

The planned facility would recycle wastewater, treating it to meet drinking water standards. Once operational, the plant is expected to produce up to 7,500 acre-feet of water annually, equivalent to approximately 3,750 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The director of Phoenix Water Services, Troy Hayes, described the project as essential for improving drought resilience while reducing costs. Other officials emphasized that the purification plant would help lower Phoenix’s dependence on the Colorado River, a key goal as water shortages persist.

This development follows a recent meeting in Las Vegas, where representatives from states relying on the Colorado River gathered to discuss the ongoing drought and the impending expiration of current water-sharing agreements in August 2026.

Negotiations over a new framework have stalled, with the Upper Basin states, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming, asserting that Lower Basin states, Arizona, California and Nevada, must further reduce water usage.

In contrast, Lower Basin representatives argue they have already made substantial conservation efforts and believe reductions should be applied system-wide.

As the deadline approaches, talks between Colorado River Basin states continue.

Meanwhile, Phoenix’s advanced water purification plant is expected to move forward if the agreement regarding its water rights is finalized. Officials projected that crews will complete construction by 2030.
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Biden admin seeks deal on Colorado River involving 7 Western states

November 21, 2024
The Biden administration is hoping to broker a deal involving seven Western states when it comes to the Colorado River. The administration is hoping to get such a deal done before Donald Trump takes office in late January.

The administration has now proposed nearly a half-dozen plans for usage that would protect water levels. The Department of the Interior is now working to develop a strategy that would be in place by late 2026, when the current federal plan is set to expire.

Seven states surround the river and depend on it. They are New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada and California. The Colorado River is the largest source of water in the region and provides clean water, hydropower and habitat to roughly 40 million people, as well as tribal nations and a wide range of species.

The battle over water rights has gone on for decades as drought conditions and rising temperatures have resulted in lower water levels. Researchers at UCLA have determined 10 trillion gallons of water have gone out of the river basin between 2000 and 2021.

A climate adviser to the White House says it owes it to future generations to find long-term solutions that ensure the river’s stability.

A top water official from Arizona said the states will try to make as much progress as they can in the days that remain in this administration.
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Controversy after volleyball teams opt out of SJSU matches over trans athlete

November 12, 2024
San Jose State University’s volleyball team has become the focal point of a national debate over transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports. This has sparked a wave of forfeits, a coach suspension, and public statements from high-profile political figures.

Several Mountain West Conference (MWC) teams, including Wyoming, Boise State, Utah State and Southern Utah, have forfeited matches against San Jose State. The schools have cited concerns about fairness and safety due to a transgender athlete on the SJSU roster.

The forfeits began in October when Boise State and Utah State withdrew from matches with SJSU. Other teams followed suit, with players citing safety and a desire to protect the “integrity of women’s sports.”

In one instance, the University of Nevada’s volleyball team considered a forfeit before ultimately deciding to play, with players stating their solidarity with those who had forfeited but choosing to honor scheduled matches.

The issue gained widespread attention in November when President-elect Donald Trump publicly voiced support for the forfeitures. He framed the situation as a safety risk and aligned with state officials, including governors from Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

Trump pointed to what he described as “a safety incident” involving the athlete, though San Jose State later clarified the circumstances of the referenced event.

San Jose State also faced internal challenges, suspending assistant volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose. The suspension came after her public comments on Fox News questioning the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports.

The Mountain West Conference clarified that San Jose State’s transgender athlete meets NCAA and conference eligibility requirements. That means forfeiting teams will incur official losses, impacting their standings and potential qualification for the upcoming MWC tournament in Las Vegas.

The forfeitures and backlash have also raised questions about future conference policies and legal frameworks, as universities balance state-level political influences with federal laws regarding inclusivity in sports. Other MWC teams are expected to weigh in on whether they will participate in matches with San Jose State.

As the debate continues, the situation at San Jose State has become a flashpoint in the evolving discourse on gender and athletics, with implications that may resonate beyond the MWC.
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Man sentenced to year in prison for selling fake COVID vaccine cards

October 14, 2024
A man who sold more than 120,000 fake COVID-19 vaccination cards will spend one year in prison. Nicholas Frank Sciotto, a 34-year-old man from Salt Lake City, will also pay a $40,000 fine for defrauding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This amount represents only a fraction of his profits from the scheme.

Sciotto made over $400,000 by selling counterfeit vaccine cards on Facebook for $10 each, with a minimum order of 10.

During the height of the pandemic, many restaurants and businesses in cities and states with strict COVID-19 restrictions required customers to show proof of vaccination to enter. The same was true for certain workplaces, where some employers mandated proof of vaccination for employees.

Earlier this summer, Sciotto admitted to his side gig of creating and selling counterfeit vaccine cards. As part of the scheme, he created a fake volunteer badge from a major COVID-19 testing company and used it to trick print shops into allowing him to print thousands of copies of vaccination cards.

He received assistance from a man in South Carolina in distributing the cards. That individual pleaded guilty last summer and is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.

“Sciotto engaged in this scheme–without regard for any public health consequences or risks that he exposed individuals to during the pandemic, without their knowledge or consent, and he undermined the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccination program and other governmental health and safety regulations and protocols at significant profit,” a United State’s Attorney’s Office press release said.
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How Utah Hockey Club’s stadium beer sales record compares to other NHL fans

October 10, 2024
The Utah Hockey Club kicked off its inaugural NHL regular season with a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in their home opener. Fans at Salt Lake City’s Delta Center celebrated the victory and their new team by setting a new arena record for beer sales. The $120,000 in total sales the highest ever for a single event at the venue.

The Delta Center has been home to the NBA’s Utah Jazz since 1991. It hosted two NBA Finals series in 1997 and 1998, both of which ended in Jazz losses to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Despite those high-profile events, beer sales during those games never hit the numbers seen during Utah’s first-ever NHL game.

Although the arena saw record-breaking sales during its first NHL game, Utah fans drank at a slower pace compared to other professional hockey fanbases.

A study by Time2Play.com looked into how many beers individual fans were drinking at games across the league during the 2022 season. Compared to those rankings, the total of drinks consumed at Salt Lake City on Oct. 8 looks a lot smaller.

With beer prices at the Delta Center averaging $15 per beverage, approximately 8,000 beers were sold during the team’s debut matchup. That means, with 11,131 people reportedly in attendance not counting those in obstructed seats, each Utah fan consumed an average of a little under three quarters of a beer during the contest.

That number is well below the league-leading Toronto Maple Leafs’ average of 3.9 drinks per game, and even behind the last ranked New York Rangers total of 1.8 beers per game.
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Plan to open 10% of Utah for solar energy faces environmental concerns

September 19, 2024
The U.S. government is considering opening up 10% of Utah’s land for solar power developments, but the proposal is facing opposition from state officials and some environmentalists who worry it could impact sensitive landscapes and habitats. Areas like Utah’s West Desert and the shores of the Great Salt Lake, which are home to threatened species such as the desert bighorn sheep, the Mojave desert tortoise, and the greater sage grouse, could be affected by the plan.

“Instead of a targeted approach, the government is painting the whole desert green to become available for solar,” said Patrick Donnelly, the Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “And that could lead to resource conflicts and environmental damage.”

Federal authorities argue that the initiative will focus only on lands that have already been disturbed or degraded, and that areas critical for wildlife habitats, cultural resources, or those already protected, will be off-limits for development. They also emphasize that any proposed solar projects will require environmental reviews before being approved.

The designation of 5 million acres in Utah for renewable energy use is part of the Bureau of Land Management’s Western Solar Plan, introduced in August.

If implemented, the agency estimates that the initiative could reduce around 123 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to removing nearly 30 million gas-powered cars from the road for a year.

“The updated Western Solar Plan is a responsible, pragmatic strategy for developing solar energy on our nation’s public lands that supports national clean energy goals and long-term national energy security,” Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning said in a statement. “It will drive responsible solar development to locations with fewer potential conflicts while helping the nation transition to a clean energy economy.”
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US government invests billions to boost domestic semiconductor production

August 16, 2024
The U.S. government is making significant investments to increase domestic semiconductor production, a critical component in nearly all modern electronics. This push comes as part of a broader effort to reduce reliance on foreign manufacturing and regain a competitive edge in this industry.

In 1990, the United States accounted for over a third of the world’s semiconductor manufacturing capacity. However, that share has declined sharply, with only 10% of global production taking place in the U.S. in 2024. Meanwhile, 83% of semiconductor manufacturing capacity is now concentrated in Asia.

In an effort to reverse this trend, the CHIPS and Science Act was passed in 2022, aimed at revitalizing the U.S. semiconductor industry. Funding from this legislation is now being used to construct three semiconductor plants, two in Texas and one in Utah.

Texas Instruments, one of the earliest pioneers in semiconductor technology, has been awarded $1.6 billion to build these facilities. The company began producing semiconductors in the 1950s. It expects to receive up to $8 billion in Treasury Department tax credits for its investment in production, along with an additional $10 million in federal funding for workforce development.

The CHIPS Act has so far allocated over $31 billion to support the expansion of semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. This investment is expected to gradually increase the nation’s share of global semiconductor production, with predictions that U.S. capacity could rise to 14% by 2032.
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More landlords offer incentives to get more renters

August 16, 2024
Rent prices have skyrocketed in the past few years, but renters might be finding a bit of an edge now. More rentals are sitting empty — leading landlords to look for ways to sweeten the pot.

Zillow said the share of listings offering incentives, like free parking or a few weeks rent-free, is up to 33.2%. That is a big difference compared to August 2023, when only 25.4% of landlords were offering incentives.

Zillow also said it found six metro areas where these deals are especially popular. More than half the rental listings on Zillow are offering incentives in Raleigh, North Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Salt Lake City, Utah; Nashville, Tennessee; and Austin, Texas.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, housing accounted for almost 90% of the monthly increase in consumer prices across the economy in July, up 5.1% from last year. Zillow also said apartment rents are still getting more expensive, also up 5.1% over the past two years.

However, there has been a building boom for apartments and that is working in renters’ favor.

In June 2024, nearly 60,000 multifamily units were completed across the United States, according to government data — the biggest increase in supply since 1973. That made it harder for landlords to fill some units. The rental vacancy rate is 6.6%, the highest it has been since the winter of 2021.
Related Stories

Utah and Texas sue federal government to ease regulations on SMRs

With 2 monuments in Calif, Biden creates largest protected tract of land in lower 48

Phoenix may trade water rights for $300M amid Colorado River drought

Biden admin seeks deal on Colorado River involving 7 Western states

Controversy after volleyball teams opt out of SJSU matches over trans athlete

Man sentenced to year in prison for selling fake COVID vaccine cards

How Utah Hockey Club’s stadium beer sales record compares to other NHL fans

Plan to open 10% of Utah for solar energy faces environmental concerns

US government invests billions to boost domestic semiconductor production

More landlords offer incentives to get more renters

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