The San Rafael Energy Research Center is going to be hosting an Open House on May 18 at the facility located in Emery County on Coal Haul Road near Orangeville. Castle Country Radio was able to speak over the telephone with Emery County Commissioner Kent Wilson to discuss the details about the new center.
“Well this morning we are waiting now for Representative Curtis to show up, him and his staff, we’re going to take him on a tour of the research center and show him what we are about. Then also next week we have the Open House on May 8 and we’re excited about that. Then from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm we’re going to have a public component, where the Chamber of Commerce and anyone from the public that would like to come up and listen to those presentations and try to learn about the exciting news of what we’re accomplishing and created up there,” said Commissioner Wilson. The presentation will feature guest speakers Dr. Pearson who is the manager of the facility, Dr. Fry who is over coal combustion and Dr. Memmott who is over the nuclear component.
There is currently a company that has signed on to do research at the facility. “So right now, we’ve got a company that we got signed a contract for, their name is Alpha Tech out of Utah County and they are ready to come down and start doing research on molten salt. That is a critical component of doing thorium based nuclear energy and its exciting. This whole thing could turn in to hundreds and hundreds of jobs if their theories are proved out and so we’re really excited,” said Commissioner Wilson. Emery County is looking forward to other companies coming to the area to do work out of the San Rafael Energy Research Center.
“This whole thing was born with the concept that Emery County for the last hundred years has been an energy county and that’s our desire going forward whether it is coal. whether it is nuclear, whether its hydrogen, this is a wonderful place to have a research center. Its helps to shape our future because we have energy lines going out of this area and we want to have the next generation of power what every it might be. Emery County has decided we want to be pro-active in trying to help shape that future,” explained Commissioner Wilson. This facility will bring in more companies that will not only benefit Emery County but the entire Southeastern Region of the state.
To learn more about the San Rafael Energy Research Center visit them at https://scic-utah.org/projects