[quote=@Vandy]Well we've already established in universe that Lex is capable of getting energy out of the "meteorite rock" and Reed is not. 

I imagine that those two are the top dogs and everyone else falls in order behind them. If you ask Lex though, there is only one answer. 
[/quote]

Because there was no [i]safe[/i] way to do it.

Lex is obviously slightly more willing to endanger the lives of millions of people than Reed for his own ego.