NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Christi Gilchrist
Executive Director - Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium
208.994.1109
[email protected]

Steve Laflin
Chief Operating Officer - Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium
208.589.1579
[email protected]

Date: 7/20/2026

Location: Idaho Falls

America's Nuclear Tech Hub, Powered by the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium, Awarded Millions to Drive Economic Growth in the Intermountain West

INEC Tech Hub to Lead National Effort in Next Generation Energy Innovation

Idaho Falls, Idaho — The Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium (IAEC) announced today that the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded the Intermountain-west Nuclear Energy Corridor (INEC) Tech Hub $31 million in Implementation Funding. Combined with matching contributions from INEC's 45+ stakeholder partners, the award brings more than $40 million to the Idaho-Wyoming region.

"The Tech Hub designation and funding award reflects the strength of our entire IAEC membership," said Christi Gilchrist, Executive Director of IAEC. "Our universities, community colleges, private companies, utilities, manufacturers, national laboratory, and community partners are all essential to this work."

The award positions INEC's coalition of industry, research, education, and workforce partners at the center of America's nuclear energy leadership to accelerate advanced reactor deployment, strengthen domestic fuel production, and expand the nuclear workforce right here in the Intermountain West.

"What we're building here is bigger than any one organization, any one company, or any one community," said Hope Morrow, IAEC Vice President and Workforce and Economic Development Manager at INL. "The INEC Tech Hub is what American innovation looks like when everyone brings their best — and the people of the Intermountain West are going to see the benefits in jobs, opportunity, and long-term energy security."

Regional and National Economic Impact
Over the next five years, the Tech Hub is expected to create hundreds of high paying energy jobs across Idaho and Wyoming and thousands more nationwide, while driving private investment. Every federal dollar invested is projected to generate $3 to $4 in follow on funding. The initiative will also help lower long-term energy costs and strengthen grid reliability across the Intermountain West.

About the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium (IAEC)
IAEC is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit consortium dedicated to accelerating the commercialization of advanced nuclear energy across Idaho and the intermountain west. As the coordinating organization for the INEC Tech Hub, IAEC brings together universities, community colleges, private companies, utilities, manufacturers, workforce partners, and communities to advance U.S. energy security, economic competitiveness, and domestic energy production. For more information about IAEC go to https://idahoadvancedenergy.org/.

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