Goochland County, like other localities, wants to grow its tax base as a way to lighten the tax load on homeowners. In particular, Goochland wants to make the county just west of Richmond attractive to technology companies, especially data centers. Item 8 includes a “small modular nuclear reactor facility.”There’s nothing like the prospect of a nuclear reactor in your neighborhood — especially when that neighborhood is right up against the county line with suburban Henrico County — to bring out the crowd. Again, if you don’t like nuclear energy in general, or the prospect of nuclear energy in this specific location, you’re right to oppose this ordinance. Granted, that feels different from a small reactor that’s potentially in your local business park, but we’re really talking about matters of degree.