Once more, with feeling: Microreactor process starts off on a new foot in Wise County

[Marlin]

Once more, with feeling: Microreactor process starts off on a new foot in Wise County

https://cardinalnews.org/2026/11/07/once-more-with-feeling-microreactor-process-starts-off-on-a-new-foot-in-wise-county/

[Core Content]

Wise County officials reviewing a local microreactor feasibility study found that public resistance remains high regarding nuclear energy development. Survey results indicate that about fifty percent of local respondents oppose nuclear projects, citing concerns over trust, safety, and waste management.

The study aims to provide guidance on energy demand, economic impacts, and community compatibility rather than select specific reactor sites. For the nuclear sector, the findings highlight the ongoing challenge of building public trust and securing local support during early stage technology rollouts in rural communities.

Residents applaud transparency, but that same transparency indicates many residents don't want nuclear.

Wise County's future with nuclear energy looks different than it did four years ago.

Many locals felt left out of the equation when then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin stood on a former coal mine and pitched Southwest Virginia as the place to site small modular reactors, a feeling that continued when seven possible sites were later identified without a public survey.

Read the full article at Cardinal News:
https://cardinalnews.org/2026/11/07/once-more-with-feeling-microreactor-process-starts-off-on-a-new-foot-in-wise-county/