A startup founded by an entrepreneur who has publicly pledged to "make nuclear great again" is pursuing an ambitious plan to install hundreds of small nuclear reactors across federal land in Utah, according to internal documents reviewed by NPR. The proposal, dubbed "Project Beehive," represents one of the most expansive nuclear energy ventures ever attempted on public lands in the United States, and it is already drawing scrutiny from local residents and environmental advocates.
Valar Atomics, the company behind the initiative, envisions constructing the facility on more than 9,000 acres administered by the Bureau of Land Management near Price, Utah. The site would host a sprawling complex that includes data centers, approximately 456 small nuclear reactors, a nuclear fuel production facility, and infrastructure for storing nuclear waste, according to the company's proposal submitted to federal regulators.
The scale of the project is striking. Collectively, the reactors would generate roughly 9.6 gigawatts of electrical power for the data centers, with additional thermal output designated for other industrial uses. For context, the entire state of Utah currently produces only about 4 gigawatts of electricity on average, though its peak capacity during summer months can approach 10 gigawatts. The project would therefore more than double the state's typical electricity generation, raising significant questions about grid integration, safety oversight, and environmental impact.
The timeline outlined in the proposal calls for nonnuclear construction to begin as early as the end of this year, with the first reactors expected to come online sometime in 2028. That schedule is notably aggressive for a nuclear project of any size, let alone one involving hundreds of reactors, and it remains unclear whether federal regulators would be able to review and approve the necessary permits within that window.
In addition to the federal land, Valar has also sought access to approximately 650 acres of state land for the same project, according to state records. The Salt Lake Tribune first reported on the company's use of state land last week, though the much larger proposed footprint on federal acreage had not been previously disclosed.
The revelation has alarmed local activists who are already contending with a wave of data center proposals across Utah. The state has become an attractive destination for tech companies seeking cheap land, available power, and proximity to fiber-optic infrastructure, but the rapid influx of large-scale facilities has strained water resources and raised concerns about energy demand.
Nuclear power has gained renewed attention in recent years as technology companies search for carbon-free energy sources to fuel the electricity-intensive operations of artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Small modular reactors, or SMRs, are often promoted as a safer, more flexible alternative to traditional large-scale nuclear plants, but the technology remains largely unproven at commercial scale, and no SMR design has yet received full regulatory approval for widespread deployment in the United States.
Valar Atomics has positioned itself as a disruptor in the nuclear sector, with its founder embracing a combative, slogan-driven approach to public messaging. The company's proposal to co-locate hundreds of reactors with data centers and fuel production facilities would create an unprecedented industrial ecosystem, one that would require extensive coordination among federal, state, and local authorities.
Critics argue that placing so many reactors in a single location, particularly on public land, introduces risks that have not been adequately studied. They point to the challenges of emergency planning, waste storage, and the potential for accidents in a region that is seismically active and prone to drought. The proposal's inclusion of on-site nuclear waste storage is likely to face intense opposition, given the decades-long stalemate over a permanent national repository.
Supporters of nuclear energy counter that the climate crisis demands rapid decarbonization, and that data centers' voracious electricity needs cannot be met by renewable sources alone. They contend that advanced reactor designs are inherently safer and that projects like Project Beehive could serve as a model for integrating nuclear power with the digital economy.
The Bureau of Land Management has not yet issued a formal decision on the proposal, and the review process is expected to involve multiple federal agencies, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Public comment periods and environmental assessments would likely follow, providing opportunities for opponents and proponents to weigh in. The outcome of Project Beehive could set a precedent for how—and whether—nuclear-powered data centers are developed on public lands across the country.
For now, the project remains in its early stages, but its sheer ambition has already made it a flashpoint in the broader debate over energy, technology, and the future of America's public lands. As Utah grapples with an influx of data center proposals and growing energy demands, the fate of Valar's vision will test the limits of both regulatory oversight and public tolerance.
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