Valar Atomics Proposes Massive Nuclear Data Center in Utah
Valar Atomics applied to build a 9.6 gigawatt nuclear-powered computing campus on over 9,000 acres of federal land near Price, Utah.
Nuclear startup Valar Atomics Inc. has applied to the Bureau of Land Management to develop Project Beehive, a massive nuclear-powered computing campus near Price, Utah. The proposal seeks the use of over 9,000 acres of federal land to install 456 small modular reactors with a combined capacity of 9.6 gigawatts, a figure exceeding double the average power usage of the state of Utah. The complex would integrate data centers, nuclear fuel production facilities, and on-site waste storage.
Beyond federal land, the company is seeking 650 acres of state land from the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, a deal projected to generate $35 million in lease revenue over 50 years. The project is part of a broader federal strategy to quadruple U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050 to support artificial intelligence development. This effort has been aided by executive orders to accelerate Nuclear Regulatory Commission approvals and the use of U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft to transport hardware from California to Utah.
Non-nuclear construction could begin by late 2026, with the first reactors expected online by 2028 and full completion by 2032. The Bureau of Land Management is currently reviewing the application and will conduct a National Environmental Policy Act analysis. While Valar Atomics claims a commitment to public engagement, local activists from the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah have raised alarms regarding industrial nuclear development and waste storage on public lands.
