California-based nuclear startup Valar Atomics Inc. generated power from an advanced microreactor to run an Nvidia Corp.
AI chip during a demonstration in Orangeville, Utah, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
The event marked the first time a next-generation reactor has produced electricity in the United States, as reported by Bloomberg.
The Ward 250 reactor was connected to an Nvidia Blackwell chip to temporarily host a website, and both companies announced a collaboration to explore building a 30-megawatt, nearly waterless data center in Utah.
Reactor Design and Cooling System
The cooling framework of the Ward 250 reactor utilizes a pressurized helium system instead of conventional water cooling to extract thermal energy.
Valar Atomics founder and CEO Isaiah Taylor explained that the reactor operates at higher temperatures, eliminating the need for water cooling.
The proposed data center will combine this helium cooling system with Nvidia’s new direct liquid cooling technology, which maintains pumped water at 113°F to eliminate the need for power-hungry water chillers.
Taylor noted that Nvidia’s cooling architecture also operates at higher temperatures, allowing for air cooling and a closed-loop system.
Energy Density and Fuel Efficiency
Taylor highlighted the power density of nuclear fission, noting that the fuel inside the Ward 250 reactor can sustain operations for 165 years.
He illustrated that if the fuel were concentrated, it would form a mere five-inch cube.
“This is enough energy to send the fully loaded Saturn V rocket and Apollo capsule to the moon 12 times,” Taylor said.
He added that it could drive a car around the Earth 7,000 times or accelerate a 100-lb craft to 37% the speed of light.
The test reactor is currently generating 100 kilowatts of electricity, which powered the Blackwell chip during the demonstration.
Taylor described the process: uranium atoms fission every second, producing 100 kilowatts of thermal energy, which is extracted by the helium cooling loop and converted to electricity via a thermal electric generator.
Valar Atomics, founded in 2023, broke ground in Utah last September and reached criticality on June 18, 2026.
Taylor credited four executive orders signed by President Donald Trump last year for streamlining the startup’s progress.
“When government works hand in hand to fulfill its proper function — that is, to protect the public while allowing growth and innovation — beautiful things can happen,” Taylor said.
Max Ukropina, head of projects at Valar Atomics, addressed public concerns about utility costs and local resource consumption.
“For families in Orangeville and Emery County, and for Americans concerned about their electric and water bills, this partnership delivers concrete reassurance,” Ukropina said.
The project intends to create high-skill jobs in reactor operations, data center engineering, and advanced manufacturing, while attracting private capital and generating sustained tax revenue without straining local water supplies.
Emy Lesofski, director of Utah’s Office of Energy Development, expressed the state’s support under Governor Spencer Cox’s “Operation Gigawatt” initiative.
“We in Utah are grateful to be a part of their story and proud to be a part of America’s nuclear future,” Lesofski said.
She confirmed that the state enforces strict resource management requirements for data center developments.
Emery County Commissioner Jordan Leonard voiced community backing, highlighting benefits for the local job base and tax base.
State Senator David Hinkins recalled Emery County’s long history as a primary energy producer for Utah.
Representative Carl Albrecht, who sponsored state legislation enabling nuclear power development, expressed optimism about balancing economic growth with environmental conservation.
“We’re going to save water for you guys up north in the Great Salt Lake and we’re going to build some AI data centers down here in rural Utah that’ll help the economy,” Albrecht said.
The Department of Energy noted that Valar Atomics is the first startup to generate electricity, while two other firms, Deployable Energy and Antares Nuclear, have achieved reactor criticality.
Before Valar Atomics can advance to commercial power distribution, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must grant a federal operating license, with NRC Chairman Ho Nieh aiming to shorten review timelines to under 18 months.
