Company and proposed project
Valar Atomics develops small nuclear reactor technology. Its proposed Project Beehive near Price, Utah, combines a large industrial campus, nuclear reactors and facilities that could support artificial-intelligence data centers. Planning figures reported by KSL and NPR describe a concept involving hundreds of reactors; these are proposed specifications, not constructed facilities.
Two separate land processes
Utah state trust land: On September 17, 2026, the Utah Trust Lands Administration board approved a proposal to lease more than 640 acres of state land. This is a state-level decision.
Federal public land: BLM told KSL on September 30 that Valar had submitted an initial application for an industrial campus on approximately 9,000 acres near Price. BLM said a complete application would trigger public-notice procedures, environmental analysis and opportunities for comment. An application is not an authorization to construct on federal land.
Disclosed investment and unresolved questions
USDA Undersecretary Michael Boren disclosed a Valar Atomics investment valued between $250,000 and $500,000. No reviewed source demonstrates that this holding affected Valar's federal application.
Questions for future reporting include BLM's determination on the application's completeness, the sponsoring legal entity, the permitted acreage, NEPA analysis, any resulting lease and the rent or other consideration paid to the public.
Original sources and reporting
- KSL: September 30 report citing BLM and state officials
- ProPublica: Boren investment and agency statement
- ProPublica: Boren financial disclosure
Evidence limits: A financial disclosure documents a holding, not improper participation in a government decision. A proposal does not establish an approval. Sources are dated and may change.