NANO Nuclear joins other industry leaders to advance innovation, deployment, R&D and workforce initiatives as Virginia addresses rapidly growing power demand from data centers, consumer consumption, and critical industries
New York, N.Y., July 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear micro modular reactor and technology company focused on developing clean energy solutions, today announced its membership in the Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium (“VNEC”).
VNEC brings together leading nuclear technology developers, utilities, engineering and construction companies, universities, research institutions and other participants in Virginia’s nuclear industry. Its mission is to sustain and strengthen Virginia’s position as a national and global leader in nuclear energy by facilitating collaboration, business development, research, training and informed public policy.
Through its membership, NANO Nuclear Chief Executive Officer James Walker will join the VNEC Board of Directors to help implement the organization’s mission and priorities. NANO Nuclear’s VNEC membership also brings with it the opportunity for VNEC to advocate for NANO Nuclear’s interests.
VNEC was established by Virginia statute and formally created in 2015 to promote, support, and advance the nuclear industry across the Commonwealth. VNEC serves as a trusted public resource on nuclear energy issues and brings together industry partners, higher education institutions, federal laboratories, and nonprofits to accelerate research, workforce development, and technology commercialization in Virginia.
Virginia’s Leadership in Nuclear Energy
VNEC, with industry and stakeholders, developed the Virginia Is Nuclear 2025–2029 Strategic Plan to deploy advanced and small modular reactors, establish a research and education reactor facility through the Virginia Innovative Nuclear Hub, secure funding for new nuclear projects spanning manufacturing, fuel fabrication, and nuclear medicine, expand the nuclear supply chain, build workforce pipelines, and engage stakeholders on nuclear energy's clean, reliable energy future.
Virginia's well-established port infrastructure, nuclear fuel fabrication firms, shipbuilding operations, and tens of thousands of nuclear-capable workers, make these goals achievable. Virginia’s assets build on a legacy that dates to the first energy delivered to the grid via the nuclear generator at Fort Belvoir in 1957.
Supporting the World’s Largest Data Center Market
Virginia is home to the world’s largest data center market and one of the largest concentrations of hyperscale computing infrastructure globally. The continued expansion of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services is driving substantial growth in electricity demand and creating an urgent need for additional sources of dependable, around-the-clock generation.
At the same time, Virginia has taken a proactive approach to managing the infrastructure and affordability implications of data center growth. State policymakers and regulators have advanced dedicated rate structures and cost-allocation protections for large-load customers, while examining energy forecasting, grid reliability, demand flexibility, generation development and the infrastructure required to sustain continued economic expansion.
Virginia has also identified advanced nuclear energy as a potential source of reliable, carbon-free power capable of supporting data centers, manufacturing facilities, hospitals, military installations and other critical infrastructure.
NANO Nuclear intends to use its VNEC membership to build relationships with organizations evaluating future power solutions for data centers and other high-load industrial customers in the Commonwealth. NANO Nuclear believes its advanced reactor portfolio may ultimately offer a range of potential applications, including dedicated generation, resilient campus power, industrial heat, grid support and energy systems serving remote or infrastructure-constrained locations.
“Virginia represents one of the most compelling locations in the United States for the future deployment of advanced nuclear technology,” said Jay Yu, Chairman and Founder of NANO Nuclear Energy. “It combines a deeply established nuclear industry, world-class universities, a highly capable technical workforce, major defense and national security activities, and the largest concentration of data centers anywhere in the world. Joining VNEC gives NANO Nuclear a meaningful platform from which to participate in Virginia’s nuclear strategy and explore how our technologies could contribute to the Commonwealth’s rapidly growing need for reliable, resilient and clean power. Becoming a member of VNEC is not simply a networking exercise; it gives NANO Nuclear a seat at the table as Virginia considers how to expand its nuclear industry, support unprecedented electricity demand, and build the workforce and infrastructure required for the next generation of nuclear deployment. We look forward to being an active member, contributing our expertise and pursuing opportunities that can create lasting value for both NANO Nuclear and the Commonwealth.”
“VNEC has assembled an exceptional network of companies, academic institutions and public-sector leaders that share our belief that advanced nuclear energy will be essential to meeting future energy demand,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear Energy. Our membership places NANO Nuclear within an influential and highly collaborative nuclear community at exactly the right time. Virginia is actively investing in advanced nuclear research, workforce development and deployment readiness, and we believe NANO Nuclear can make a valuable contribution to that effort while developing important long-term commercial relationships. NANO Nuclear’s vertically integrated strategy is particularly well aligned with Virginia’s ambitions, as we are developing advanced reactors while simultaneously building capabilities in nuclear fuel, transportation, engineering and deployment. VNEC provides a forum through which these different business lines can be introduced to organizations across Virginia’s energy, academic, manufacturing, defense and technology sectors.”
Expanding NANO Nuclear’s National Footprint
NANO Nuclear’s membership in VNEC represents part of the Company’s broader effort to establish relationships with leading universities, national laboratories, government agencies, utilities, industrial customers and nuclear supply chain participants throughout the United States.
The Company is currently advancing its KRONOS MMR™ Energy System and associated fuel, transportation and manufacturing capabilities. Through VNEC, NANO Nuclear intends to explore opportunities across its broader portfolio rather than limiting its participation to a single technology or project.