Waterless AI data center? A big experiment is under way in rural Utah

A nuclear power startup and an AI computing company are testing a “waterless” data center concept in rural Utah, with NVIDIA presenting a chip designed to work with the approach. During an event in Orangeville, Utah, on Wednesday, NVIDIA debuted the chip powered by Valar Atomics’ small modular nuclear reactor, used to launch a demonstration website at scaled-up conditions. Valar’s founder Isaiah Taylor said the system would not use water, relying instead on helium cooling, with higher-temperature architecture enabling air cooling and a closed-loop system. Valar has worked on its reactor at the San Rafael Energy Lab in a sandbox, reporting it achieved “criticality” and citing progress before President Trump’s July 4 deadline for nuclear pilot projects. Officials said the reactor produced 100 kilowatts at the time of the tour, with plans to scale over the next couple of years in Emery County.