3 Introduction On Feb. 18, 1949, the recently formed Atomic Energy Commission (predecessor to today’s U.S. Department of Energy) selected a Naval Proving Ground in Idaho as the site of a planned National Reactor Testing Station. Within just a few years, the site was home to numerous milestones that paved the way for the peaceful use of nuclear energy to generate safe, emission-free electricity. Although names at the site changed over the years (Argonne-West, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory), nearly every operating reactor in the world has technological roots in Idaho.That proud tradition continues today, with what is now Idaho National Laboratory set to host the nation’s first small modular reactor demonstration and a new versatile fast-neutron test reactor within the next decade. Milestone Key Electricity Safety Fuels and Materials U.S. Armed Forces Reactor Design “ For 70 years, INL research has improved lives. But our work is only beginning. Our past is the foundation upon which we will build national energy and security solutions.” – Mark Peters, INL Director