The U.S. Department of Energy has marked a landmark moment in American energy history, with Idaho National Laboratory playing a central role in achieving criticality across three of four advanced nuclear reactors as part of a federal pilot program — the first new reactors successfully started at the nation’s nuclear research laboratory in more than half a century.
The milestone comes as part of the DOE Reactor Pilot Program, which President Trump elevated through Executive Orders directing that at least three test reactors reach criticality by July 4, 2026. INL teams met that target in a remarkably compressed timeframe, with one of the reactors going from development to criticality in under six months. INL also contributed technical expertise in support of the fourth reactor’s success, even as that project was led by another team.
Idaho at the Center of a Nuclear Revival
For North Idaho and the broader Gem State, the achievement at INL represents far more than a scientific benchmark. Idaho has been the legislative and institutional engine behind the advanced nuclear movement for years, and the criticality announcements validate years of groundwork laid in Washington, D.C., and in the desert near Idaho Falls.
Governor Brad Little pointed to the historical weight of the moment. “For the first time in more than 50 years, new reactors have successfully started at our nation’s nuclear energy research laboratory,” Little told the Bonner County Daily Bee. The governor’s statement underscored just how long the nation’s nuclear development pipeline had stalled — and how significant INL’s recent achievements are in reversing that trend.
Idaho’s congressional delegation helped build the legal and institutional scaffolding that made these demonstrations possible. Senator Mike Crapo led passage of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act in 2018, joined by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, which authorized the creation of the National Reactor Innovation Center at INL. The following year, Crapo teamed with Senator Jim Risch to pass the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, which updated the regulatory framework governing advanced reactor licensing. Both measures were designed specifically to accelerate the kind of public-private reactor development now bearing results at INL.
A third piece of federal legislation, the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act — commonly called the ADVANCE Act — was enacted in 2024, adding further momentum to the effort to modernize the nation’s nuclear energy sector.
Federal Investment and Regional Economic Impact
The nuclear push is also generating direct economic benefits for the region. The U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded approximately $31 million to the Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Corridor Tech Hub, a designation that positions Idaho and neighboring states as a national hub for advanced nuclear development, manufacturing, and workforce training.
That investment could have ripple effects across North Idaho communities, including the Bonner County area, where energy-sector employment and related supply chain activity have long been economic drivers. As the federal government and private industry accelerate advanced reactor deployment, demand for skilled workers, specialized manufacturing, and energy infrastructure support is expected to grow throughout the region.
INL’s role in all four demonstrations — leading three to criticality and supporting the fourth — confirms the laboratory’s standing as the nation’s premier nuclear energy research institution. The results also validate the bipartisan legislative strategy pursued by Crapo and Risch, who spent years arguing that modernized regulatory pathways and dedicated federal facilities were prerequisites for a genuine nuclear renaissance.
What Comes Next
With all four advanced reactors now having achieved criticality, attention turns to the next phases of the pilot program: sustained operation, performance evaluation, and eventual pathways toward commercial deployment. The data gathered from these demonstration reactors at INL will inform licensing decisions and design standards for next-generation nuclear plants across the country.
The $31 million Intermountain-West Tech Hub award is also expected to spur additional investment and workforce development initiatives tied to nuclear energy across Idaho and the surrounding region. For Idaho’s congressional delegation, the milestone represents a proof-of-concept moment for the legislative strategy they championed — and a potential foundation for expanding INL’s mission in the years ahead.
For more coverage of Idaho energy policy and federal investment in the Gem State, visit Idaho News.