If you spend a little too much time on the internet, you’d believe that the Freemasons or the Illuminati have a hub in the middle of Colorado. Soon, they might have access to radioactive material. Denver International Airport is exploring the possibility of constructing a small modular nuclear reactor on its expansive 53-square-mile site. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and airport CEO Phil Washington announced a $1.25 million feasibility study on Wednesday to see if the nuclear option is viable for satisfying DIA’s growing energy demand.
The airport hopes to deploy the reactor underground on airport property as the facility expands to potentially handle 120 million passengers annually by 2045, up from the current total of 82 million people. According to the Colorado Sun, the airport currently draws 45 megawatts of electricity and will need an additional 40 MW once its current expansion plans are completed. The facility has already spent $3.8 billion on building 39 new gates and an ongoing reconstruction of its Great Hall. Preliminary plans for a mind-boggling 100-gate, four concourse expansion have already been laid out, but it’s unclear how much energy Denver International Airport will need to function at that point.
Nuclear power is all the rage in the White House
The first question you might have is, why a nuclear reactor? Denver’s airport is trying to become carbon neutral by 2040. However, the airport’s sprawling acreage could accommodate other forms of clean energy, like wind or solar. The airport has already built solar arrays that produce 30 MW on 100 acres of land. It has nearly 34,000 acres at its disposal. It’s seemingly a government push at the state and federal levels. Colorado officially classified nuclear power as a clean power source this year, making nuclear projects eligible for government zero-emissions benefits.
The Trump administration is seemingly enamored by the power of the atom. According to USA Today, the White House wants to build new small-scale reactors next year to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary. President Trump even ordered the Pentagon to build a reactor on a military base by 2028. Not to mention, that Transportation Secretary and interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy has ordered the space agency to put a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030 to power the Artemis program’s moon base. Surely, it’s perfectly safe to dot the country with nuclear power plants and there won’t be any repercussions with the aggressive expansion.
