Valar Atomics has proposed a large-scale nuclear power facility on Bureau of Land Management land near Price, Utah, according to documents reviewed by NPR. The project, called Project Beehive, would occupy more than 9,000 acres of federal land and include approximately 456 small nuclear reactors alongside data centers, a nuclear fuel production facility, and nuclear waste storage infrastructure. The reactors would collectively generate around 9.6 gigawatts of power, exceeding the current average electricity production of the entire state of Utah.
The company has also requested access to roughly 650 acres of state land as part of the same initiative. The project timeline indicates that non-nuclear construction could commence by the end of this year, with the first reactors expected to become operational in 2028. The company projects full site completion by 2032. The modular design allows individual 25-megawatt units to be installed sequentially, enabling phased development that reduces costs and allows faster operational startup compared to traditional large nuclear facilities.
Local environmental groups have expressed concerns about the scale and location of the project on public lands. Neal Clark of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and Lexi Tuddenham of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah noted that opposition crosses political boundaries and emphasized the importance of public awareness regarding the proposal. The Bureau of Land Management confirmed receipt of the application and stated it is currently reviewing completeness while committing to providing meaningful public input opportunities during the required environmental review process.
Valar Atomics has positioned itself at the forefront of nuclear industry revival efforts. The company received acceptance into the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program in August 2025 and has benefited from regulatory reforms enacted by the Trump administration to facilitate small modular reactor development. Earlier this year, the company’s test reactor achieved self-sustaining nuclear reaction and successfully generated electricity, marking what the company claims as the first time a startup has independently produced nuclear electricity.
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