US Awards $94 Million to Speed Deployment of Small Nuclear Reactors
The US has awarded more than $94 million to eight companies to speed the deployment of small modular nuclear reactors, as the Trump administration pushes to expand domestic energy production, the Department of Energy said on Thursday.The funding will support near-term deployment of advanced light-water small modular reactors, or SMRs, by addressing hurdles in licensing, supply chains, and site preparation.The Department said the projects are aimed at strengthening the US nuclear supply chain, supporting the development of Gen III+ SMR order books, and advancing President Trump's plans to boost nuclear energy."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 centers and AI growth, and reinforce a stronger, more secure electric grid," Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.The awards are part of a broader $900 million federal initiative launched in March 2025 to de-risk deployment of Generation III+ SMRs, which are viewed by policymakers and utilities as a scalable source of carbon-free baseload power.The Trump administration previously allocated $800 million under the program to projects backed by the Tennessee Valley Authority and Holtec International in Tennessee and Michigan.The latest recipients include Constellation Energy, which received about $17.3 million to pursue an early site permit from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a potential SMR site in New York, and Nebraska Public Power District, which was awarded about $27.9 million for a similar project in Nebraska.The largest manufacturing award went to BWX Technologies, which secured over $21 million to expand production capabilities at its Mount Vernon, Indiana, facility for reactor pressure vessels and other large nuclear components.Other recipients included Framatome, which will expand fuel fabrication capacity in Washington state, and Global Nuclear Fuel, which plans to add a second fuel rod production line in North Carolina.The DOE said awards also support domestic heavy forging and steel manufacturing capacity, with funding directed to Scot Forge and American Forgemasters Company for equipment upgrades tied to large SMR components.