The US Department of Energy has selected eight companies to support the near-term deployment of advanced light-water small modular reactors in the US. DOE said the awardees will collectively receive more than $94m in Federal cost-shared funding to support deployment by addressing key gaps that have hindered the domestic nuclear industry in licensing, supply chain, and site preparation.
“Projects will bolster the supply chain needed to deliver new nuclear generation in the 2030s, strengthen the development of Gen III+ SMR orderbooks, and advance President Trump’s Executive Orders to usher in a nuclear renaissance and expand America’s Energy Dominance agenda.”
“Advanced light-water SMRs will give our nation the reliable, round-the-clock power we need to fuel the President’s manufacturing boom, support data centres and AI growth, and reinforce a stronger, more secure electric grid,” said Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “These awards ensure we can deploy these reactors as soon as possible.”
DOE selected the following companies for awards under the Generation III+ SMR Pathway to Deployment Program:
- Constellation SMR Development was awarded, $17,264,292 to pursue a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved Early Site Permit for a location in New York to support the future deployment of Gen III+ SMRs.
- Nebraska Public Power District was awarded $27,864,860 to obtain a NRC approved Early Site Permit for a location in Nebraska to support the future deployment of Gen III+ SMRs.
- BWXT Nuclear Energy was awarded $21,423,305 to procure equipment for an existing facility in Mount Vernon, Indiana, that is required for final assembly of reactor pressure vessels and the manufacture of other large nuclear reactor components.
- Container Technologies Industries was awarded $547,900 to expand the company’s nuclear quality assurance certifications for their facility in Helenwood, Tennessee, to enable them to produce steel for Gen III+ SMR deployments.
- Framatome US Government Solutions was awarded $8,800,000 to expand a fuel fabrication facility in Richland, Washington, by increasing the number of ceramic pellet production lines, adding approximately 200 metric tons of uranium of annual capacity.
- Global Nuclear Fuel America was awarded $3m to establish a second production line for fuel rod fabrication for boiling water reactors, acquire capital equipment to automate the pellet inspection process, and implement automated storage and handling for pellets, for their facility in Wilmington, North Carolina.
- American Forgemasters Company was awarded $2.9m to procure a new furnace for their facility in New Castle, Pennsylvania, to facilitate the domestic production of large component forgings for Gen III+ SMRs.
- Scot Forge Company was awarded $12.267m to procure and install a large vertical turning lathe and gantry style milling machine for a facility in Spring Grove, Ill., to facilitate the domestic production and manufacturing of large components for Gen III+ SMRs.
In March 2025, DOE issued a $900m solicitation to de-risk the deployment of Gen III+ SMRs. This was a re-issue of a DOE solicitation made in October 2024 under the Joe Biden administration. This opened applications for funding to support the initial domestic deployment of Gen III+ SMR technologies, with up to $800m to go to two “first-mover” teams, with an additional $100m to address gaps that had hindered plant deployments. The solicitation was re-issued to better align with President Donald Trump’s agenda on unleashing American energy and AI dominance.
In December 2025, DOE announced $800m in Tier 1 awards into the Tennessee Valley Authority and Holtec Government Services to advance initial projects in Tennessee and Michigan that will help expand the country’s nuclear capacity while facilitating additional follow on projects and associated supply chains. Another round of awards under Tier 2 may be issued if additional funds become available.
