TL;DR / Executive Summary
- Zeno Power has established a nuclear battery manufacturing site at Vallecitos Nuclear Center in California, using restored hot cell infrastructure
- The project involves Zeno and NorthStar, with contracts from the Pentagon and NASA and first deliveries expected in 2027
- Nuclear batteries provide long-duration power for space, defence and remote systems where solar or conventional batteries cannot operate
Zeno Power announced it is establishing a nuclear battery manufacturing facility at the Vallecitos Nuclear Center in Sunol, California. Zeno has partnered with NorthStar, a leader in nuclear decommissioning, to restore specialized hot cell infrastructure to produce nuclear batteries that will power critical defense, space, and commercial missions.
This lease agreement with NorthStar enables Zeno to fulfill initial deliveries to government customers in 2027 and then quickly scale production. With more than $60 million in contracts with the Pentagon and NASA, and strong follow-on demand from government and commercial partners, Zeno is positioned to deliver nuclear batteries at scale beginning in 2028.
Established in 1957, the 1,600-acre Vallecitos complex was home to America’s first privately owned nuclear power plant, which received Power Reactor License No. 1 from the Atomic Energy Commission. The site was a pinnacle of innovation at the U.S. nuclear industry’s inception – through fuel testing, isotope production, and reactor research. In March of 2025, the former operators of Vallecitos closed on a deal with NorthStar to complete nuclear decommissioning and eventual site restoration at Vallecitos. NorthStar’s decommissioning work will continue across the broader site in parallel with Zeno’s manufacturing activities in the discrete hot cell portion of the complex.
“Vallecitos wrote the first chapter of American commercial nuclear power,” said Tyler Bernstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Zeno Power. “We’re honored to write the next chapter by producing nuclear batteries here that will power America’s most important missions.”
Zeno recently took possession of initial decontaminated hot cells – thick-walled, robustly shielded rooms designed for safe handling of radioactive materials. Non-radiological operations have begun at the facility, with radiological operations expected later this year, pending regulatory approval.
Vallecitos Nuclear Center has existing decommissioning licenses from the NRC and California, with dedicated hot cell infrastructure already in place, a rare and valuable asset in the United States. Hot cells allow technicians to safely build nuclear batteries by remotely handling radioactive materials through thick lead-glass windows and mechanical arms. Zeno’s work to restore the hot cell facilities actively preserves and expands the local nuclear workforce through private investment.
“As NorthStar continues to decommission Vallecitos, we made the decision to preserve the hot cell facility, knowing it had future value for our mission,” said Scott State, CEO of NorthStar. “We’re proud to partner with Zeno to utilize the facility for beneficial use – building nuclear batteries to power the frontier.”
Zeno plans to add more than 50 jobs in the Tri-Valley over the next three years, drawing on the deep engineering, nuclear, and operations talent across Berkeley, Livermore, and Silicon Valley. This will be the company’s third location, with existing office and lab facilities in Seattle, WA, and Washington, D.C.
“This is a major win for Alameda County,” said David Haubert, Alameda County Supervisor. “Zeno’s investment creates high-skilled jobs, preserves decades of irreplaceable nuclear expertise at Vallecitos, and generates significant economic activity in our region. We’re proud that Alameda County will be home to the advanced manufacturing capabilities that power America’s defense, space exploration, and commercial missions.”
“The Tri-Valley has been a center of innovation for decades, and Zeno’s restoration of a key portion of Vallecitos continues that proud tradition,” said Katie Marcel, CEO of Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group. “This project demonstrates how preservation and cutting-edge technology work together. We’re excited to welcome Zeno to our region and support their growth as they scale production of nuclear batteries.”
Zeno’s nuclear battery production at Vallecitos addresses a strategic national need: ensuring domestic radiological infrastructure to meet the burgeoning demand for nuclear power. The effort aligns with the White House’s Executive Order 14302 to usher in the American nuclear renaissance. By establishing secure U.S. production of nuclear batteries at an existing, licensed facility, Zeno is reinvigorating the nuclear industry base to provide decades of reliable energy for America’s most critical missions.
Nuclear batteries, also known as radioisotope power systems, convert the natural decay of radioisotopes into years of uninterrupted power. Unlike conventional batteries or solar panels, these microwave-sized systems operate continuously in extreme environments – from sensing networks in the deep ocean to rovers on the lunar surface to spacecrafts exploring the outer solar system.
