Commerce Department Awards $31 Million to Idaho Nuclear Tech Hub

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced a $169 million investment across six nationwide Tech Hubs, including a $31 million grant for the Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Corridor (INEC) Tech Hub spanning Idaho and Wyoming. This federal award, distributed through the Economic Development Administration, combines with $9 million in local and private funds to inject over $40 million into the region over five years.

Led by the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium (IAEC), the hub will support advanced fuel fabrication, nuclear construction training, and the integration of private firms into the nuclear supply chain. The initiative involves over 45 organizations and is expected to create more than 900 jobs, generating an estimated $190 million in regional economic impact. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) will drive the effort to strengthen the domestic fuel supply, navigate regulations, and reduce reliance on foreign energy sources.

This investment follows a period of innovation at the INL, where new reactors recently achieved criticality milestones for the first time in over 50 years. Idaho officials and federal representatives stated that the funding leverages decades of state investment in education and infrastructure to establish the region as a national leader in advanced nuclear energy and small modular reactors.