My vision on nuclear power in Colorado Springs
Presented to the Colorado Springs Utilities Board of Directors - June 2025
Last week, I had the opportunity to present a proposal for the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) to the Colorado Springs Utilities Board. The IFR is a fourth-generation nuclear design, when combined with innovative thermal energy storage, that offers a fundamentally different model for clean, dispatchable energy—one that recycles nuclear waste, dramatically reduces long-term storage needs, and provides energy security for the next century.
My presentation focused on what it would mean to pursue this path locally. I discussed how the IFR can be:
Fuel-flexible, running on today's spent nuclear fuel and depleted uranium
Waste-minimizing, turning long-lived waste into short-lived fission products
Eliminates need for new uranium mining and environmental degradation.
Safe by design, using passive safety features and inherent material properties
Water-efficient, using air cooling suited to the Colorado climate
The concept also included practical considerations: co-locating with existing generation infrastructure, potential timelines, federal licensing pathways, and a call to reevaluate outdated reprocessing policy.
This isn't a near-term procurement decision—it's a conversation about long-term vision. As a citizen and participant in the policy advisory process, I believe we owe it to our community to evaluate every serious option for energy resilience and sustainability.
You can view the full PDF of my presentation here:
As always, I welcome thoughtful discussion and feedback.
— Thomas Carter