Nuclear energy startup Valar Atomics is partnering with Nvidia to develop a pilot data center in Emery County, Utah. The facility will be powered by Valar's Ward 250 helium-cooled microreactor.
The project targets roughly 30 megawatts of output, sufficient to run significant AI compute operations without drawing power from the local grid. During a July 2026 demonstration, Nvidia's Blackwell AI chips were successfully powered by the microreactor.
This reactor achieved a critical milestone in March 2026, sustaining a nuclear chain reaction under controlled conditions. It is the first U.S. Department of Energy-authorized microreactor to do so outside a national laboratory.
The facility is designed as a "behind-the-meter" solution, generating its own electricity on-site. It also uses closed-loop cooling, resulting in near-zero water usage.
Valar raised $450 million in funding at a $2 billion valuation earlier in 2026. The company's vision involves grid-independent data center campuses that can be deployed wherever compute power is needed.
The AI boom's massive electricity demands and grid connection bottlenecks have made energy sourcing a primary constraint for infrastructure. Nuclear power offers 24/7 baseload generation with zero operational carbon emissions.
If viable at scale, this model could reshape the economics of energy-intensive operations. The competitive landscape for small modular reactor designs is active, with companies like Oklo, NuScale, and Kairos Power all pursuing development.