Less than a week after announcing it would explore the use of a small modular reactor (SMR), Denver International Airport (DEN) has put on hold plans to commission a feasibility study. This came after Denver Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore questioned why the airport did not consult the community and local residents before issuing requests for proposals for the study.
She asked airport CEO Phil Washington to pull the requests because “there had not been any community conversation with the folks in my neighbourhood”. After deferring the process, DEN said: “Our goal is to present this idea to the community, listen to their feedback, and understand what they would like to see included in the feasibility study.” The airport would have waited until a study was underway to seek community input, not while proposals for the study were being sent out, according to the statement. “However, since it was requested, we are happy to do so.”
Gilmore said people in her district have questions about safety, the nuclear waste and development of the area on and near the airport. “I appreciate the vision, but we’re talking about real people’s lives here,” Gilmore told Denver7. “There’s been no conversation with the people I represent, with the businesses, with the schools, with anybody in the far Northeast that I’m aware of,” she said. “This is a big deal, and I think if we’re going to be one of the first in the country, we need to model good governance and have robust community engagement.
A DEN spokesperson sent Denver7 the following statement: “The Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Feasibility Study Request for Proposal was delayed, effective Friday, August 8. The delay will allow DEN the opportunity to provide an overview of the proposal to the community … based on feedback from Councilmembers provided last week in committee. Our goal is to present this idea to the community, listen to their feedback, and understand what they would like to see included in the feasibility study.”
DEN is the third-busiest airport in the US and the sixth-busiest in the world. The airport is expected to see more than 120m passengers a year by 2045. A record-breaking 82.3m used DIA in 2024. Washington had said the airport is exploring the possibility of building a SMR on its campus to help meet growing demands for electricity and cut the use of carbon-emitting power.
