A nuclear startup is proposing to place some 456 small reactors on public land in central Utah to power a massive data center campus, according to documents reviewed by NPR and reported Sept. 30. The plan, which Valar Atomics calls Project Beehive, would use more than 9,000 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management near Price, plus about 650 acres of state land.

The scale is striking. NPR reported that the reactors together would produce around 9.6 gigawatts of power for data centers, plus additional heat for industrial uses. By comparison, Utah produces around 4 gigawatts of electricity on average, and its peak capacity in summer can reach around 10 gigawatts, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration state data cited by NPR.

The proposal also includes a facility to produce nuclear fuel and others to store nuclear waste. That mix of uses on federal land has alarmed conservation groups, who say decisions made in Carbon County could have wide implications for how public lands are used.

Inside the Company's Proposal

According to NPR, nonnuclear construction could begin as soon as the end of 2026, with the first reactors coming online sometime in 2028 and the full site completed by 2032, according to a document it reviewed. Valar's reactors are units of about 25 megawatts of electricity each, designed to be mass-produced and installed one at a time so the site can grow in phases.

That approach is a sharp break from traditional nuclear power. Since 2000, the United States has switched on just three new nuclear power plants, producing a total of around 3.4 gigawatts, NPR reported. Those reactors are far larger than Valar's planned units, and each cost many billions of dollars to build.

The company's test reactor, Ward 250, reached criticality, a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab in Emery County in June, according to the Department of Energy's nuclear energy fact sheet. That site is about 30 miles from the proposed Project Beehive location. Valar was among the companies selected in August 2025 for the Energy Department's Reactor Pilot Program, which was launched that June to speed testing of advanced reactor designs.

Valar did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment. In a July interview with NPR, CEO Isaiah Taylor said of the company's test reactor, "We're doing it responsibly and accountably to this community."

Federal Review Has Only Just Begun

The Bureau of Land Management's Utah office confirmed it had received Valar's application. "We are currently reviewing the application for completeness," the agency told NPR, adding that as the application moves through the required National Environmental Policy Act process, "we will make sure the public has meaningful opportunities to provide input."

No approval has been granted, and the project's footprint, timeline, and environmental conditions could change. The National Environmental Policy Act requires federal agencies to study the environmental effects of major federal actions and to involve the public before deciding. Residents who want a say will need to watch for formal comment opportunities once the review moves forward.

The state side of the plan is also moving. Valar has sought the use of around 650 acres of state land, according to Utah public meeting records. The Salt Lake Tribune first reported the state land request the week before NPR's report.

One figure is worth watching as details emerge. At about 25 megawatts per unit, 456 reactors would total roughly 11.4 gigawatts, more than the 9.6 gigawatts NPR reported for data center power. Public reporting does not explain the difference, which could reflect how output is divided between electricity and other uses.

Water, Waste, and Land Use Concerns

Local groups are already organizing. Neal Clark, wildlands director at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, said the Trump administration, with the state's support, is "pushing this forward on significant acreage of public lands."

Lexi Tuddenham, executive director of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah, said concern about the project transcends political lines and that the use of federal land for such a project may be unprecedented. Facilities for waste storage, nuclear development, and data centers on public land would have "tremendous implications for how public lands are used," she said.

A federal review would typically examine questions such as water use, wildlife habitat, grazing and recreation access, transportation of nuclear fuel and waste, and emergency planning. None of those studies has been published. Valar's test reactor is an advanced gas-cooled design using TRISO fuel, according to the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab. Neither Valar nor federal reviewers have publicly said how much water a full Project Beehive campus and its data centers would need in an arid region.

Stakes for Utah Households

For people living near Price, the project could bring construction jobs and new tax revenue, along with truck traffic, changes to how nearby public land can be used, and long-term decisions about storing radioactive waste nearby. Those tradeoffs are what a public environmental review is designed to surface.

For electricity customers statewide, the effect is unclear. The proposal describes power for on-site data centers, and public reporting does not indicate whether any of it would reach the Utah grid or affect utility bills.

The concept is part of a larger national push. The Energy Department has promoted rapid development of advanced reactors, and Utah is a finalist to host one of the department's nuclear lifecycle innovation campuses, which could include waste storage, according to KUER's report on the Energy Department's finalist list.

The next milestone is the Bureau of Land Management's completeness review. Once the application moves into the environmental review, the agency is expected to explain how the public can participate.

What Readers Want to Know

What is Project Beehive?

It is a proposal by Valar Atomics to build data centers powered by about 456 small nuclear reactors on more than 9,500 acres of federal and state land near Price, Utah.

How much power would it produce?

NPR reported the reactors would produce about 9.6 gigawatts of power for the data centers, plus heat for industrial uses. Utah produces about 4 gigawatts of electricity on average.

Has the project been approved?

No. The Bureau of Land Management says it is reviewing the application for completeness and will follow the National Environmental Policy Act process, including public input.

When could reactors start running?

According to documents reviewed by NPR, the first reactors could come online in 2028, with the full site completed by 2032.

Would it include nuclear waste storage?

Yes. The proposal includes facilities for producing nuclear fuel and for storing nuclear waste, a central concern for local conservation groups.

How can residents weigh in?

Watch for public participation opportunities announced by the Bureau of Land Management's Utah office as the environmental review moves forward.