By McKenzie Romero | Editor
Utah is opening the door to another nuclear developer eyeing the state as a possible home for advancing its technologies.
State leaders have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Canadian company Nuclea Energy to explore bringing its micro reactor to the state, where it will work on research, development and commercialization of the “transportable” nuclear power source.
In today’s Dispatch we update you on the state’s latest nuclear partnership, the unprecedented loss of trees this wildfire season, and President Donald Trump’s call for permanent daylight saving time.
“We are excited to be contributing to and benefitting from the nuclear innovation hub that Utah has fostered at (the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab).” — Josef Freundorfer, CEO of Nuclea Energy, in a news release announcing his company’s agreement to explore bringing a micro nuclear reactor to Utah.
A rendering of Morpheus, a micro nuclear reactor being developed by Nuclea Energy. (Courtesy of Nuclea Energy)
By Alixel Cabrera
Morpheus, the microreactor Nuclea Energy is developing and will explore bringing to Utah’s San Rafael Energy Lab, is “designed to be factory-built, transportable and scalable from approximately 3.5 MWe to 50 MWe,” the company said in a news release.
With the agreement, Utah signed on to support the company as it engages with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as exploring pathways to expand the company’s technology in the state.
A firefighter mops up on the southern flank of the Cottonwood Fire near Beaver, Utah, in a photo shared on Saturday, June 28, 2026. (Photo courtesy of inter-agency fire officials via InciWeb)
By Katie McKellar
New research shows Utah, though it’s only halfway through its wildfire season, is seeing unprecedented burns in woodland and forest areas — and that trend poses “concerning” economic and ecological threats for drinking water, habitat and recreational opportunities.
This year, Utah has already broken its record for wooded and forested areas burned in a single year. Woodland areas are characterized by shorter trees like junipers or pinyon pines, while forests have taller trees like aspens, firs and pines.
President Donald Trump wants the U.S. Senate to agree with the House and pass a measure called the “Sunshine Protection Act” that would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. (Photo by Getty Images)
DC BUREAU
By Shauneen Miranda
President Donald Trump is urging Republican senators to “release their holds” and pass a measure making daylight saving time permanent nationwide.
The bipartisan bill passed the House in July but faces hurdles in the Senate, where members from both parties have pushed back against ending the semiannual clock changes. Trump wrote on social media the time change is “foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly.”
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