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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Valar’s Ward 250 reaches criticality in Utah
El Segundo, Calif.–based start-up Valar Atomics has taken its Ward 250 test reactor critical at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab (USREL), becoming the second company in the Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program to reach the milestone, and, according to the DOE, the first to do so outside a national laboratory.
The DOE celebrated the achievement in a June 18 announcement, describing it as a "zero-power fueled criticality demonstration." The news follows a similar update for Antares Nuclear's Mark-0 reactor, which the DOE said achieved criticality at Idaho National Laboratory earlier this month.
NUCLEAR AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR SPACE (NETS-2025) PLENARY SPEAKER
Craig serves as the CEO of the American Nuclear Society, a position he has held since November 2019. He has over 25 years of experience in nuclear policy as a congressional chief of staff, associate staff for the House Appropriations Committee, and public affairs advisor for corporations, labs and universities.
During his time on Capitol Hill, Craig led efforts to preserve federal nuclear R&D funding and to accelerate cleanup of the U.S. Department of Energy’s defense nuclear sites. As ANS Washington Representative, Craig played a central role in several high-profile policy victories, including the creation of the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) and Integrated University Program (IUP) and defeating legislation that would have banned the commercial use of 14 radioisotopes.
Craig has a bachelor’s degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is a graduate of the Public Affairs Institute. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife Clare and is an avid skier, canoeist, and Formula One fan.
Last modified March 4, 2025, 8:45am CST