PARSONS, Kan. — A proposal to build an experimental nuclear reactor a mile underground near Parsons, a small farming community in southeastern Kansas, has divided local residents and officials. The project, led by startup Deep Fission, aims to develop and test a novel "Gravity Reactor" that operates beneath bedrock, with plans to generate electricity from 2027 or 2028.

Deep Fission, founded three years ago by physicist Richard Muller and his daughter Liz Muller, has raised approximately $150 million to support development, including $40 million from a recent initial public offering. The company drilled an initial test hole earlier this year on 100 acres at the Great Plains Industrial Park, a former Army ammunition base just outside Parsons, where they retrieved core samples from deep granite. The plan includes sending nuclear fuel down a third hole to heat water and produce electricity on the surface using the natural properties of the underground environment for containment, cooling, and pressure, eliminating the need for conventional aboveground containment structures.

Parsons, with a population of about 9,600, sits roughly halfway between Kansas City and Tulsa. Local officials see potential economic benefits, including job creation and attracting energy-intensive industries such as data centers. “It’s great that it’s here,” said Verlyn Bolinger, a Parsons city commissioner. “It’s kind of bad that we’re the guinea pigs.” The reactor is expected to generate 15 megawatts—enough to power approximately 12,000 homes—with aspirations for scaling up to arrays capable of producing more than a gigawatt for large commercial users.

The project is part of a broader federal initiative under the Department of Energy’s pilot program, which supports development of small advanced reactors outside traditional national laboratory settings with expedited environmental reviews. This follows previous efforts under the Trump administration to promote a “nuclear renaissance,” which called for expanding nuclear power in the U.S., currently providing about 20% of the country’s electricity, amid rising demand, notably driven by artificial intelligence data centers.

However, the project has generated opposition from some residents concerned about environmental risks, public health, and transparency. The lack of early public discussion and the use of oil-and-gas regulations for drilling, rather than nuclear-specific standards, have fueled distrust. “This is a nuclear experiment,” said Marjorie Reynolds, a local nurse and founder of the Prairie Dog Alliance, which opposes the development. She voiced concerns about potential impacts on water supplies and questioned plans for reactor maintenance and long-term waste management.

The Energy Department and Deep Fission maintain that safety and security are priorities. Liz Muller emphasized that the reactor’s deep underground location reduces risks to aquifers and that the company is compliant with relevant regulations. The startup, which previously developed underground nuclear waste disposal technology through another venture called Deep Isolation, plans to open a community office in Parsons to engage residents and address concerns.

Critics argue that expedited regulatory procedures undermine thorough environmental review. Twelve state attorneys general recently cautioned that bypassing standard oversight could increase risks for local communities. Advocacy groups such as Beyond Nuclear have called for comprehensive impact studies, especially given the generation of high-level nuclear waste.

As the project moves forward toward pilot operation, Parsons faces balancing hopes for economic revitalization with apprehensions about the untested nature of underground nuclear technology and long-term environmental consequences.