INL History

1. Naval Proving Ground

This area was first used by the U.S. government in the 1940s to test artillery. In 1949, the newly formed Atomic Energy Commission established the National Reactor Testing Station. In the 1970s, the site was designated a national laboratory.

2. The First Peaceful Use of Nuclear Power

In 1951, one of the most significant 20th century events took place nearby-the first usable amounts of electricity were generated by nuclear power. The Experimental Breeder Reactor Number I (EBR-I) is a Registered National Historic Landmark, open to the public from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

3. Dawn of the Nuclear Navy

The technology for the world's first nuclear- powered submarine was pioneered in Idaho. From 1953 to 1994, thousands of sailors in Admiral Rickover's Nuclear Navy trained here using full-scale submarine prototype reactors.

4. The World's Largest Concentration of Reactors

Over the decades, more than 50 nuclear reactors have been built and operated here--the largest concentration of reactors in the world.

Experimental Breeder Reactor No. I (1951 - 1963)

Materials Test Reactor (1952 - 1970)

Boiling Water Reactor Experiment No. 1 (1953 - 1954)

Boiling Water Reactor Experiment No. 3 (1955 - 1956)

X-39 Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion reactors (1955 - 1960)

Experimental Breeder Reactor No. II (1961 - 1994)

Zero Power Physics Reactor (1969 - 1992)

Power Burst Facility (1972 - 1985)

Loss-of-Fluid Test Facility (1973 - 1985)

Advanced Test Reactor (1967 - Present)

View the full list of reactors.