Katy (Kathryn) Huff, former DOE Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, said a zero-power criticality test 'can be achieved without making real engineering progress on fuel or design', since it only shows neutrons can multiply. Neutron Bytes (Dan Yurman, Feb 28, 2026) quotes it as said to Latitude Media 'last month' and names Valar's Los Alamos test as her example; MIT Technology Review (July 9, 2026) quotes the same words from the Catalyst podcast earlier that year. The original interview was not opened in this pass. It is directed at claims built on the November 2025 NOVA result (orig-008). Valar's own NOVA release concedes the distinction ('Cold proves the physics. Hot proves the power.').

• Questions Abound About Valar Atomics (Neutron Bytes (Dan Yurman), 2026-02-28) analysis “can be achieved without making real engineering progress on fuel or design”
• Los Alamos National Laboratory and Valar Atomics Announce Project NOVA Criticality Milestone in Nevada (Valar Atomics (joint announcement with LANL), 2025-11-18) primary company “Cold proves the physics. Hot proves the power.”
• Four nuclear reactors hit a big milestone in the US (The Spark newsletter) (MIT Technology Review, 2026-07-09) analysis “can be achieved without making real engineering progress on fuel or design”