Advanced nuclear leaders to gather in Los Alamos after string of reactor milestones

Advanced nuclear developers, national labs and industry groups will meet Aug. 25 at the inaugural Los Alamos Nuclear Forum in New Mexico as multiple U.S. reactors reach criticality milestones. The gathering comes as the sector moves from design work toward testing, validation and eventual deployment.

Why it matters: - Multiple criticality milestones in recent weeks show advanced nuclear moving from concepts to physical reactor testing. - The shift matters for investors, policymakers, utilities and manufacturers because reactor progress now depends on licensing, fuel supply, manufacturing, grid integration and financing. - Los Alamos is positioning itself as a center for that transition, with the forum bringing together the people building the next stage of the industry.

What happened: - The inaugural Los Alamos Nuclear Forum is set for Aug. 25 in Los Alamos, New Mexico. - The event follows a run of reactor milestones from Los Alamos National Laboratory, Antares Industries and Oklo. - Oklo announced Aug. 6 that its Groves Isotope Test Reactor achieved first criticality, meaning it sustained a controlled nuclear chain reaction. - Antares Nuclear said June 4 that its Mark-0 advanced reactor completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration at Idaho National Laboratory. - Antares became the first participant in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program to reach criticality. - Antares’ result was the first time in more than 40 years that a new privately developed non-light-water reactor reached that milestone in the United States. - Los Alamos National Laboratory is advancing its ZiaCore microreactor through criticality testing.

The details: - Criticality is a key reactor-development threshold because it validates reactor physics, design and operation in a self-sustaining chain reaction. - Criticality is not the same as commercial deployment or power production for customers. - Antares reached criticality June 4, Valar Atomics on June 18, Deployable Energy by the end of June and Aalo Atomics in early July. - The recent wave of testing came during an unprecedented period of advanced reactor demonstrations supported by the Department of Energy. - The forum is designed to bring together the broader nuclear ecosystem, including uranium, conversion, enrichment, fuels, reactors, laboratories, manufacturing, utilities, transmission, finance, workforce, transportation, waste management, public policy and community engagement. - Participants include the Nuclear Energy Institute, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Oklo, Antares Industries, DISA URANIUM, Grants Energy, Waste Control Specialists, Eden Radioisotopes and Space Nuclear Corporation. - The event also includes organizations spanning advanced reactors, the fuel cycle, utilities, manufacturing, universities, investment and economic development. - Registration is open at the forum website. - A LinkedIn profile for Scott Lopez is listed at Scott Lopez on LinkedIn.

Between the lines: - The article frames criticality milestones as evidence that advanced nuclear is moving past slide decks and into hardware-backed execution. - The pace of progress suggests the industry is starting to test commercial readiness, not just technical feasibility. - Los Alamos has a strong symbolic fit for the forum because of its long role in U.S. nuclear science and national security. - The forum’s “Grid Nuclear Nexus” sessions are meant to connect reactor development with electricity demand, transmission and future infrastructure planning. - That focus reflects a practical question now facing developers: where advanced reactors will go, who will use their output and what it will take to scale.

What's next: - Forum attendees will hear from organizations that are already reaching measurable milestones rather than only discussing future concepts. - The industry will continue working through engineering, regulatory, fuel, manufacturing and commercialization hurdles on the path from criticality to deployment. - The Los Alamos event is expected to serve as a meeting point for scientists, engineers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, utilities and infrastructure leaders. - The broader sector now faces the next test: turning reactor validation into repeatable deployment and commercial operations.

The bottom line: - Advanced nuclear is entering a proof stage, and Los Alamos is becoming a place where that progress is being coordinated in public.