Utah's Nuclear Data Center Play: 10 GW Gigasite Meets Operation Gigawatt

December 13, 2025

December 2025 Update: Utah emerges as a potential nuclear-powered AI infrastructure hub. Creekstone Energy signed an MOU with EnergySolutions for 2 GW of nuclear at its 20-million-square-foot Delta Gigasite. Governor Spencer Cox's Operation Gigawatt adds Holtec SMR-300 reactors in Brigham City with $750M private investment.

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TL;DR

Two converging initiatives position Utah for nuclear-powered data center development. Creekstone Energy plans the world's largest data center campus—20 million square feet drawing 10 GW across solar, gas, and potentially 2 GW of nuclear power. Separately, Governor Cox's Operation Gigawatt brings Holtec SMR-300 reactors to Brigham City with a full manufacturing and training ecosystem. Timeline: manufacturing by 2028, reactors operational early 2030s. For infrastructure planners, Utah offers a rare combination: state government support, nuclear pathway, and massive scale.

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The Delta Gigasite

Creekstone Energy closed Series B funding in November 2025 to advance the Delta Gigasite—a 20-million-square-foot data center campus southeast of Delta in Millard County.¹

Scale comparison:

Campus	Size	Location
Creekstone Delta Gigasite	20M sq ft	Utah, USA
Telecom Inner Mongolia Info Park	10M sq ft	Hohhot, China
Microsoft Goodyear Campus	4M sq ft	Arizona, USA

The project would be twice the size of the world's current largest data center campus.²

Power Portfolio

Creekstone plans 10 GW of total capacity from multiple sources over the coming decade:³

Source	Capacity	Status
Intermountain Power Project	1.8 GW	Existing agreement
Solar	6 GW	Planned
Natural gas	2 GW	Planned
Nuclear (potential)	2 GW	MOU signed Dec 11
Geothermal, wind	TBD	Under consideration

The December 11, 2025 MOU with EnergySolutions kicks off "Phase 1" evaluation of nuclear options, encompassing large-scale reactors and SMRs of different designs.⁴

Nuclear Timeline

If Creekstone and EnergySolutions proceed with nuclear:

Phase	Timeline	Activity
Phase 1	2025-2026	Feasibility study, regulatory assessment
Gating decisions	2026-2027	Technology selection, commercial terms
Development	2027-2030	Permitting, construction
Commercial operation	2030-2035	Initial nuclear capacity online

The 2030-2035 commercial operation window aligns with expected data center demand growth and next-generation nuclear technology maturation.⁵

Early Tenants

Creekstone already secured initial commitments:

• BluSky AI: Agreement for land and up to 50 MW of power at the Delta Gigasite⁶
• Millard County approval: Zoning and conditional use permit received unanimous commission approval⁷

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Operation Gigawatt

Governor Spencer Cox unveiled Operation Gigawatt in October 2024 to double Utah's power production over the next decade.⁸ The initiative addresses four goals:

1. Increase transmission capacity
2. Expand energy production from existing sources
3. Develop new sustainable sources including nuclear and geothermal
4. Enhance policies enabling clean, reliable energy

Brigham City Nuclear Ecosystem

On November 17, 2025, Cox announced "a major development in Operation Gigawatt"—construction of a small nuclear power plant paired with manufacturing and training facilities in Brigham City.⁹

Partners: - Holtec International: SMR-300 reactor technology - Hi Tech Solutions: Manufacturing and workforce development

Investment: $750 million in private capital committed¹⁰

Jobs: 1,300 projected in Phase 1; 3,000-5,000 over the decade¹¹

Cox described the initiative as "a complete civil nuclear energy ecosystem from start to finish, the first project of its kind."¹²

SMR-300 Specifications

Holtec's SMR-300 represents the company's latest small modular reactor design:¹³

Specification	Value
Output	300 MWe
Design type	Pressurized water reactor
Refueling interval	36+ months
Footprint	Compact, underground containment
NRC status	Design certification in progress

Timeline

Milestone	Target
Manufacturing facility	2027-2028
Training facility	2028
First reactor operational	Early 2030s
Fleet deployment (Mountain West)	2030s

Holtec plans to deploy SMR-300 reactors across the Mountain West region, with Utah serving as the manufacturing and training hub.¹⁴

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Why Utah

Several factors make Utah attractive for nuclear-powered data centers:

State Government Support

Utah represents the most nuclear-friendly state policy environment currently available:¹⁵

• Operation Gigawatt: Explicit state backing for nuclear development
• Streamlined permitting: Governor's office actively facilitating projects
• Economic development focus: Data centers and nuclear both priority sectors
• Bipartisan support: Nuclear enjoys broad political backing

Existing Nuclear Experience

Utah hosts EnergySolutions' Clive facility—one of the nation's largest low-level radioactive waste disposal sites. This provides:¹⁶

• Regulatory familiarity with nuclear operations
• Workforce with nuclear industry experience
• Established supply chains for nuclear materials

Power Market Structure

Unlike Texas (ERCOT) or Virginia (PJM), Utah operates within the Western Interconnection with different market dynamics:¹⁷

• Less severe interconnection queue congestion
• Intermountain Power Project provides baseload anchor
• Abundant solar resource for daytime generation
• Nuclear addresses 24/7 baseload requirements

Geographic Advantages

The Delta Gigasite location offers practical benefits:¹⁸

• 130 miles south of Salt Lake City (workforce access)
• Rural setting (fewer community conflicts)
• Proximity to existing transmission (Intermountain Power Project)
• Available land for massive scale

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Infrastructure Implications

For Site Selection Teams

Utah presents a differentiated opportunity:

Advantages: - State government actively supporting nuclear pathway - 10 GW of planned capacity at single site - Less queue congestion than Texas/Virginia - 2030-2035 nuclear timeline matches demand growth

Considerations: - Nuclear timeline extends to early 2030s—not near-term solution - Solar dependency creates intermittency challenges - Water availability in desert environment requires attention - Distance from major population centers affects latency-sensitive workloads

Timeline Comparison

Market	Large-Scale Power	Nuclear Option	Queue Congestion
Utah (Delta)	2026-2027 (solar/gas)	2030-2035	Low
Texas (ERCOT)	2027-2030	Limited options	Severe (230 GW queue)
Virginia (PJM)	2028-2030	Limited options	High (90 GW queue)
Arizona	2027-2029	Palo Verde expansion TBD	Moderate

Power Procurement Strategy

Organizations considering Utah should understand the phased approach:¹⁹

Phase 1 (2026-2028): - Solar + gas provides initial capacity - Intermountain Power Project supplies baseload - Nuclear remains in planning/development

Phase 2 (2028-2032): - Additional solar buildout - SMR-300 manufacturing begins - Nuclear permitting advances

Phase 3 (2032+): - Nuclear capacity online - True 24/7 clean power achievable - Grid-scale + behind-the-meter options

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Risk Factors

Nuclear Development Risk

Nuclear projects face well-documented challenges:²⁰

• Regulatory timeline: NRC certification can extend years beyond projections
• Cost overruns: Historical pattern of construction cost escalation
• Technology risk: SMR-300 lacks commercial operating history
• Financing: Nuclear projects require patient capital

Market Timing

The 2030-2035 nuclear timeline creates planning uncertainty:

• AI infrastructure demand may peak or plateau before nuclear online
• Technology shifts could change power requirements
• Competitor sites may achieve scale faster

Water Constraints

Desert operations require water planning:²¹

• Cooling water for data centers and potentially nuclear
• Competition with agricultural and municipal users
• Climate change affecting long-term availability

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Comparison: Delta Gigasite vs Operation Gigawatt

Aspect	Delta Gigasite	Operation Gigawatt
Lead entity	Creekstone Energy (private)	State of Utah + Holtec
Location	Delta, Millard County	Brigham City, Box Elder County
Primary purpose	Data center campus	Nuclear manufacturing ecosystem
Nuclear capacity	2 GW (under evaluation)	SMR-300 fleet (300 MW each)
Timeline	2030-2035 for nuclear	Early 2030s for first reactor
Investment	Series B (undisclosed)	$750M private
Synergy	Could source from Operation Gigawatt SMRs	Could supply Delta Gigasite

The initiatives potentially complement each other: Operation Gigawatt creates nuclear manufacturing capability; Delta Gigasite provides anchor demand.²²

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Key Takeaways

For site selection teams: - Utah offers the most nuclear-friendly state policy environment in the US - Delta Gigasite: 20M sq ft, 10 GW planned, world's largest data center campus - Nuclear timeline: 2030-2035 for commercial operation - Near-term power: solar + gas available 2026-2028

For power procurement: - Creekstone-EnergySolutions MOU covers 2 GW nuclear evaluation - Operation Gigawatt adds Holtec SMR-300 manufacturing in Brigham City - Phased approach: solar/gas first, nuclear adds 24/7 clean power later - Less queue congestion than Texas (230 GW) or Virginia (90 GW)

For strategic planning: - Utah positioning as nuclear-powered AI infrastructure hub - $750M private investment signals serious commitment - 3,000-5,000 jobs over decade creates workforce pipeline - State government actively facilitating vs. regulating

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References

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For AI infrastructure deployment in nuclear-friendly markets, contact Introl.