Nuclear roots run deep in Atomic City, Idaho, next to hub for new reactor testing

[Marlin]

Nuclear roots run deep in Atomic City, Idaho, next to hub for new reactor testing

https://www.aspenpublicradio.org/2026-08-06/idaho-national-lab-nuclear-testing-ground-new-reactors-atomic-city-residents-unconcerned

[Core Content]

A woman with red/brown hair and a white shirt leans against a bar, with a shelf of liquor in the background and pro-Trump signs in the foreground.

Deployable Energy recently achieved criticality for a new test reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory. This milestone marks the first sustained chain reaction for the company, which aims to develop micro reactors capable of powering 1,000 homes. The project is part of a broader effort to deploy smaller, transportable nuclear energy systems.

The industry is currently shifting focus toward micro reactors intended for remote communities, military bases, and data centers. While proponents view these designs as a solution to rising energy demands, critics express concern regarding the impact of expedited federal permitting processes on safety standards. The success of these tests will influence future regulatory oversight and public acceptance of advanced nuclear technologies.

A new generation of small nuclear reactors is poised to come online in the next few years. Not everyone is as supportive as Atomic City residents.

People still smoke indoors at the bar in Atomic City, Idaho, population: 52. The walls are plastered with one-dollar bills and a "Don't Tread On Me" flag.

"Where were you Monday?" bar and nearby race track owner Vickie O'Haro asks one of her regulars who typically comes in every day.

O'Haro knows her customers' orders without asking: cold beers or shots called "atomic bombs" — fitting since her regulars mostly work down the road at Idaho National Laboratory, or INL, America's nuclear energy testing grounds since 1949.

Read the full article at Aspen Public Radio:
https://www.aspenpublicradio.org/2026-08-06/idaho-national-lab-nuclear-testing-ground-new-reactors-atomic-city-residents-unconcerned