Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington speaks during BusinessDen’s “The Future of Aerotropolis” event on June 24, 2025. (Kim Brundage/Special to BusinessDen)
Denver International Airport plans to explore the possibility of building a nuclear reactor on its property.
DIA CEO Phil Washington disclosed the interest in a “small modular reactor” during a panel discussion at BusinessDen’s “The Future of Aerotropolis” event last month.
“When we think about capacity and electricity and power, the development that’s going on out there, we need to be thinking about this. And so this is something that is imminent, that I plan to bring forward, for a study on how we can do this,” he said.
Washington, who has been CEO since 2021, had been asked about DIA’s efforts to spur private development on its nonaviation land. Specifically, he was asked whether those efforts were “in the first inning or the fifth inning.”
“I think we have warmed up,” Washington responded. “We have finished our warmups. And we might be in the first inning, bottom of the first.”
Washington said he’s focused on two things related to that. First, he said, is how DIA can “prepare the parcels for development” by taking care of things like getting utilities to the site.
“The second thing that we have not talked about is the capacity for electricity and power generation,” he said, going on to mention the possible reactor.
A request for proposals seeking a firm that would conduct the study will likely be issued late this year or early next year, according to the airport.
Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington speaks during BusinessDen’s “The Future of Aerotropolis” event on June 24, 2025. (Kim Brundage/Special to BusinessDen)
Denver International Airport plans to explore the possibility of building a nuclear reactor on its property.
DIA CEO Phil Washington disclosed the interest in a “small modular reactor” during a panel discussion at BusinessDen’s “The Future of Aerotropolis” event last month.
“When we think about capacity and electricity and power, the development that’s going on out there, we need to be thinking about this. And so this is something that is imminent, that I plan to bring forward, for a study on how we can do this,” he said.
Washington, who has been CEO since 2021, had been asked about DIA’s efforts to spur private development on its nonaviation land. Specifically, he was asked whether those efforts were “in the first inning or the fifth inning.”
“I think we have warmed up,” Washington responded. “We have finished our warmups. And we might be in the first inning, bottom of the first.”
Washington said he’s focused on two things related to that. First, he said, is how DIA can “prepare the parcels for development” by taking care of things like getting utilities to the site.
“The second thing that we have not talked about is the capacity for electricity and power generation,” he said, going on to mention the possible reactor.
A request for proposals seeking a firm that would conduct the study will likely be issued late this year or early next year, according to the airport.
