10/01/2026
Eastern Utah Is Ready to Power the Future: 456 Reactors Proposed Next Door to the Uintah Basin
Eastern Utah has kept the lights on and truck rolling across the Rocky Mountain region for generations. Now a proposal just over the hill from the Uintah Basin could write the next chapter of that story with clean, carbon-free nuclear power.
Valar Atomics is planning "Project Beehive" on more than 9,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management ground near Price, according to documents reviewed by NPR. The plan includes data centers, some 456 small nuclear reactors, and on-site fuel manufacturing and storage facilities. The company has also sought about 650 acres of state land.
The scale is remarkable. The reactors would produce around 9.6 gigawatts for the data centers. The entire state of Utah averages about 4 gigawatts today.
The timeline is ambitious too. Site work could begin as soon as the end of this year, with the first reactors online in 2028, and the full site possibly complete by 2032.
Why this makes sense for our region
Clean energy, around the clock. Nuclear produces carbon-free power day and night, in any weather.
A workforce that knows energy. Carbon and Emery counties have powered the West for generations. This keeps those skills, and those paychecks, here at home.
Less strain on the grid. The power is earmarked for the data centers, which means they won't be competing with households, farms, and businesses for existing electricity.
Protection for ratepayers. Self-powered projects are less likely to push the cost of new power plants and transmission onto everyone else's bill.
Investment in rural Utah. Projects of this size bring jobs, tax base, and opportunity to communities that have earned them.
Responsible development, done in the open
The project is still under federal review. The BLM has confirmed it received the application and says the public will have meaningful opportunities to give input. Valar says no construction begins before permits and approvals, and its CEO has said the company is committed to safety and community engagement.
That's how it should work: clean energy, built responsibly, with the community at the table.
We want to hear from you
Our communities have always welcomed the work of powering the West. Are you ready to see Eastern Utah lead the way in clean nuclear energy? What would this project mean for your family, your business, or your town?
Tell us in the comments. Like this post if you support clean energy and responsible development in Eastern Utah, and share it so your neighbors can join the conversation.
Source: "A startup wants to build a massive nuclear-powered data center on public land in Utah," NPR, Sept. 30, 2026.
Stengel Realty, LLC | Mike Stengel, Principal Broker-Owner | (435) 724-HOME (4663)
