IDAHO FALLS, Idaho, Jan. 2, 2026 — The Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium (IAEC) is glad to announce that all five of its component projects submitted as part of the 2025 Regional Technology Innovation Tech Hub Program have been chosen by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to move on to the final Stage II competition for an award.
The IAEC gathered a regional team in Idaho and Wyoming to set up the Intermountain West Nuclear Energy Corridor (INEC). The INEC Tech Hub was one of only 31 regional Tech Hubs selected by the EDA in 2023, and INEC was one of only 19 out of those 31 regional Tech Hubs that was invited to submit proposals under this latest Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
Christi Gilchrist, the Executive Director of the IAEC, states, “With the EDA’s support, the INEC Tech Hub is positioned as America’s leading nuclear demonstration site. This progress ensures the nation’s future in energy production, economic competitiveness, and national security.”
The INEC Stage I proposal to the EDA was submitted in November 2025 and consists of the following five major component projects:
- Accelerating Advanced Reactor Deployment
- Modernizing Fuel Management
- Growing the Nuclear Workforce
- Reinvigorating the Nuclear Supply Chain
- Scaling Americas Nuclear Innovation
The total funding being requested by the INEC Tech Hub under this NOFO is around $7