WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today officially kicked off President Trump’s Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, announcing DOE will initially work with 11 advanced reactor projects to move their technologies towards deployment. DOE will work with industry on these 11 projects, with the goal to construct, operate, and achieve criticality of at least three test reactors using the DOE authorization process by July 4, 2026. Today’s initial selections represent an important step toward streamlining nuclear reactor testing and unleashes a new pathway toward fast-tracking commercial licensing activities.
“President Trump’s Reactor Pilot Program is a call to action,” said Deputy Secretary of Energy James P. Danly. “These companies aim to all safely achieve criticality by Independence Day, and DOE will do everything we can to support their efforts.”
President Trump is committed to re-establishing the United States as a global leader in nuclear energy and securing a reliable, diversified, and affordable energy supply to drive American prosperity and technological advancement.
DOE announced the Reactor Pilot Program in June 2025, following President Trump’s Executive Order 14301, which reforms reactor testing at the Department. The goal of the Reactor Pilot Program is to expedite the testing of advanced reactor designs that will be authorized by the Department at sites that are located outside of the national laboratories. Seeking DOE authorization provided under the Atomic Energy Act will help today’s selected companies— Aalo Atomics Inc., Antares Nuclear Inc., Atomic Alchemy Inc., Deep Fission Inc., Last Energy Inc., Oklo Inc., Natura Resources LLC, Radiant Energy Inc., Terrestrial Energy Inc., and Valar Atomics Inc.— unlock private funding and provide a fast-tracked approach to future commercial licensing activities.
The diversity of applications received shows the remarkable breath of innovation and ingenuity in American reactor developers.
Each company will be responsible for all costs associated with designing, manufacturing, constructing, operating, and decommissioning their test reactors. DOE looks forward to working with these 11 projects to safely and efficiently accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear technology.
For more information on the Reactor Pilot Program, click here.
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