Why It Matters
A landmark moment for Idaho’s energy sector arrived this spring as Idaho National Laboratory officially launched the nation’s first purpose-built microreactor test bed inside the historic Experimental Breeder Reactor-II dome near Arco. The transformation positions Idaho at the center of a global race to develop and deploy next-generation nuclear technology — and it is already bringing jobs, investment, and new businesses directly to eastern Idaho.
What Happened
The 100-foot-tall dome structure, originally built in the 1960s to house the EBR-II reactor, has been fully refurbished and repurposed at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex. The site — now known as the DOME test bed — is designed to give private companies a secure, heavily shielded environment where they can test fueled microreactor designs and gather experimental data needed to pursue federal licensing and eventual commercial deployment.
Brady Orchard, the project director at the Materials and Fuels Complex, said teams pushed hard to compress the construction timeline. “That required extensive support from over 300 individuals at MFC constructors,” Orchard noted, adding that coordination with industry partners helped accelerate key equipment procurement by a full year ahead of schedule.
Curtis Neilson, the DOME’s technical program manager, described the facility as a critical proving ground for next-generation reactor concepts. The test bed provides developers with the experimental data necessary to support reactor licensing and move toward real-world deployment, he said.
One notable touch: the original 1960s EBR-II control room has been preserved inside the transformed facility, maintaining a tangible link to the site’s pioneering nuclear history even as the surrounding infrastructure serves an entirely modern mission.
Economic Impact on Idaho Falls
Beyond the technical significance, the DOME project is already generating measurable economic activity in eastern Idaho. Brett Tomer, director of the National Reactor Innovation Center, said multiple private reactor developers are actively setting up operations in the Idaho Falls area as a direct result of the program.
“I know of at least five offices that have opened up because of our program,” Tomer said, noting that companies are relocating employees and their families to the region as they advance their reactor designs. The broader economic ripple effect — housing demand, local services, skilled-labor hiring — stands to benefit communities across the upper Snake River Plain.
This development aligns with a broader pattern of nuclear-sector growth in the Mountain West. Idaho and neighboring states have been tracking the workforce demands of a nuclear renaissance, and INL’s expanding role as a testing hub is drawing talent and capital that might otherwise flow to other regions.
By the Numbers
- More than 300 workers at the Materials and Fuels Complex contributed to the DOME refurbishment project.
- The dome stands 100 feet tall and dates to the 1960s, when it originally housed the EBR-II reactor.
- The project timeline was compressed by one full year ahead of the original schedule.
- At least five private-sector offices have opened in Idaho Falls tied to the DOME program.
- INL is targeting this summer for the first microreactor demonstration projects at the site.
Zoom Out
The United States is in an intensifying competition with China and Russia to deploy small modular and microreactor technology at scale. The Pentagon has identified mobile, rugged microreactors as a strategic priority for powering remote military installations and disaster-resilient infrastructure. The DOME test bed puts American private industry in a position to validate their designs domestically before seeking deployment approvals.
For Idaho, the project reinforces INL’s standing as the nation’s leading nuclear research institution and deepens the state’s role in shaping U.S. energy policy. The formal opening of the DOME test bed represents years of federal investment and laboratory planning coming to fruition at a moment of surging national interest in advanced nuclear power.
What’s Next
INL plans to host its first live microreactor demonstration tests at the DOME facility beginning this summer. Additional private developers are expected to enter testing agreements as the program scales. With offices already opening in Idaho Falls and more companies reportedly in discussions, the eastern Idaho region is poised for continued growth tied directly to the advanced nuclear sector.
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