A little-known startup with ambitions to reshape the nuclear energy landscape is seeking to build hundreds of small reactors on federally managed land in Utah, according to internal documents reviewed by NPR. The proposal, dubbed "Project Beehive," would place more than 450 microreactors across thousands of acres near the town of Price, creating one of the largest nuclear-powered industrial complexes ever conceived in the United States.
Valar Atomics, the company behind the plan, has submitted a proposal to federal regulators outlining a facility that would combine data centers, nuclear fuel production, and nuclear waste storage on land held by the Bureau of Land Management. The documents describe a scope that dwarfs conventional energy projects and raises significant questions about feasibility, safety, and environmental impact.
At the heart of the proposal is an array of 456 small nuclear reactors. Together, these units would generate approximately 9.6 gigawatts of electricity dedicated to powering data centers, with additional thermal output available for other industrial applications. For context, the entire state of Utah produces only about 4 gigawatts of electricity on average, though its peak capacity during summer months can reach roughly 10 gigawatts.
The project's timeline is aggressive. According to the proposal, non-nuclear construction could begin as soon as the end of this year, with the first reactors potentially coming online by 2028. That schedule would require rapid regulatory approvals and construction timelines that far exceed typical nuclear development cycles in the United States.
Beyond the federal land, Valar has also sought access to approximately 650 acres of state-owned 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, but the far larger federal land component had not been previously disclosed.
The project has already sparked concern among local activists and residents, who are grappling with a wave of data center proposals across Utah. The state has become an attractive destination for such facilities due to its relatively cheap land, available power, and proximity to major fiber optic networks. However, the cumulative effect of multiple large-scale projects has begun to strain local infrastructure and raise questions about water use, grid reliability, and community impact.
Valar Atomics is led by a founder who has publicly vowed to "make nuclear great again," a slogan that reflects the company's positioning within a broader resurgence of interest in nuclear power as a carbon-free energy source. The startup is among a growing number of firms pursuing small modular reactor designs, which proponents argue can be manufactured in factories and deployed more quickly than traditional large-scale nuclear plants.
The microreactors described in the Project Beehive proposal are designed to be transportable. In February, a Valar Atomics microreactor was photographed strapped to a pallet inside a C-17 aircraft at March Air Reserve Base in California, without nuclear fuel, before being transported to Hill Air Force Base in Utah. That exercise demonstrated the company's intent to move reactors by military transport, a capability that could allow rapid deployment to remote locations.
The proposal's inclusion of a nuclear fuel production facility and nuclear waste storage sites adds another layer of complexity. Fuel fabrication and waste management are tightly regulated activities that typically require separate licensing processes and extensive environmental review. Combining them with reactor operations and data centers on a single site would create a concentrated nuclear industrial hub unlike any currently operating in the country.
Federal land in Utah has long been considered for energy development, including oil, gas, and renewable projects. However, placing hundreds of nuclear reactors on public land would represent a significant departure from traditional uses and would likely trigger reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, the Atomic Energy Act, and other federal statutes. The Bureau of Land Management, which manages the acreage in question, would play a central role in any approval process.
The scale of the project also raises questions about grid integration. While the reactors would primarily serve on-site data centers, the excess thermal energy could be used for industrial processes such as hydrogen production, desalination, or chemical manufacturing. Such applications could improve the project's economic viability but would require additional infrastructure and partnerships.
Data centers have become voracious consumers of electricity, driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and streaming services. Technology companies have increasingly sought dedicated power sources to ensure reliability and to meet sustainability goals. Nuclear energy, which produces no direct carbon emissions, has emerged as a preferred option for some firms, though cost and schedule overruns have plagued the industry for decades.
Valar Atomics is not the only company pursuing nuclear-powered data centers. Several major technology companies and utilities have announced partnerships to explore small modular reactors and advanced nuclear designs. However, Project Beehive's proposed scale—456 reactors on over 9,500 acres—is unprecedented and would require a level of regulatory coordination and public acceptance that has yet to be demonstrated.
Local opposition is already forming. Residents near Price and throughout Utah have expressed concerns about safety, water consumption, and the transformation of rural landscapes into industrial zones. The project's use of both federal and state land means that multiple agencies and public comment periods will be involved, offering opportunities for stakeholders to weigh in.
The documents reviewed by NPR do not indicate whether Valar Atomics has secured financing, manufacturing capacity, or utility partners for the project. Building 456 reactors would require a massive supply chain and workforce, neither of which currently exists at the required scale. The company's timeline of first reactors online by 2028 is far shorter than typical nuclear construction schedules, which often span a decade or more.
If realized, Project Beehive would represent a landmark in nuclear energy deployment and a test case for whether advanced reactors can be built quickly and at scale on public lands. If it stalls, it may join a long list of ambitious energy proposals that failed to overcome regulatory, financial, and technical hurdles. For now, the project remains a proposal on paper, but its implications for Utah, the nuclear industry, and the broader energy transition are already drawing attention.
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