Valar Atomics, founded in 2023 by Isaiah Taylor, plans to build a large-scale data center project in Utah. The company intends to deploy over 450 small modular high-temperature gas-cooled reactors across more than 9,500 acres. These facilities, termed gigasites, are designed to operate independently of the electrical grid while providing power, heat, and fuel production capabilities.
The company's Ward 250 test microreactor reached criticality on June 18, 2026, at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab, becoming the first DOE-authorized reactor built outside a national laboratory. On July 1, 2026, the unit generated its first electricity, which was used to power an Nvidia Blackwell chip. Construction in Emery County began in September 2025, with the reactor delivered in February 2026.
In August 2026, Valar Atomics raised $1 billion in a Series B funding round, reaching a valuation of $6 billion. Furthermore, in September 2026, the Utah Trust Lands Administration approved a 50-year lease for 640 acres in Carbon and Emery counties for a nuclear and data center campus. The company aims to begin test-basis power sales in 2027, with full commercial operations expected by 2028.
