ANS Nuclear Newswire (June 22, 2026) identifies Valar as an El Segundo, California-based start-up and reports that Isaiah Taylor has indicated Ward 250 is a 100-kWt (thermal) reactor built to demonstrate its TRISO-fueled HTGR technology; the power figure is attributed to Taylor, not independently measured. It reports Valar announced 10 kWt output on June 22 during power ascension. It says the federal review was led by Bob Boston, a manager at DOE's Idaho Operations Office, and that a joint test group had to sign off on key start-up steps before DOE authorized the criticality test. It also notes the executive order's three-reactor-by-July-4 target was still unmet at that date.

• Valar’s Ward 250 reaches criticality in Utah (American Nuclear Society (Nuclear Newswire), 2026-06-22) news “El Segundo, Calif.–based start-up Valar Atomics”