Wednesday, August 20, 2025

DOE has selected 10 new ventures for their Reactor Pilot Program!

Happy Wednesday!

By now you probably realize we like energy as well as tie-ins to our previous blogs.  We blogged about nuclear energy starting to catch on in Texas back last November and we had an update in May with our Texas Legislature adding to its agenda discussions on nuclear energy.  In the same Blog, we updated you on the buzz of a nuclear project at Abilene Christian University (ACU) and their secondary joint project with Texas Tech University (TTU), and Texas Produced Water Consortium using nuclear energy to power TTU’s produced water desalination system project. We blogged on how Texas A&M had chosen some projects for their Rellis Campus, and well as applied for licensing from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the site.  Several of these companies have projects here in Texas as we have mentioned in previous blogs!  Well, America is getting real on nuclear energy with the current administration throwing some support their way. 

Did anyone happen to read EnergyTech’s Transition Newsletter on August 18, 2025, their article titled, “DOE Names 10 Companies to Fast-Track Small Modular Reactors by 2026”?  In the article, it speaks on how the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) “Reactor Pilot Program” have selected ten nuclear energy new ventures to help them fast track permitting and other governmental assistance for their small modular reactors (SMR) and other innovative reactor ventures as well as helping them by placing their support behind them to help them unlock private money.  In addition to helping the projects move their projects along the governmental gauntlet, the start-ups will in turn will have their projects self-sustaining or at least three of them by Independence Day of next year.  The projects will have the burden of covering all their expenses associated with their projects including but not limited to installation and building their projects to taking them down and disposing of their trial model.  The new ventures who were chosen include: Aalo Atomics, Antares Nuclear Inc., Atomic Alchemy Inc., Deep Fission Inc., Last Energy Inc., Oklo Inc. (2 projects chosen), Natura Resources LLC, Radiant Industries Inc., Terrestrial Energy Inc., and Valar Atomics Inc. These recipients do not have a lot of time nonetheless they have the faith of the DOE behind them!

The DOE is hoping these companies will show how with an innovation one may bring commercial scale nuclear energy projects within reasonable budgets and timelines unlike past nuclear energy projects.  Earlier this year the current administration called for modernizing current nuclear policy to improve timelines for permitting and licensing.  We wish all these new ventures luck bringing their innovations to the light or should we say turning on the light! If you would like to read more of the article from EnergyTech, please click the link: DOE Names 10 Companies to Fast-Track Small Modular Reactors by 2026 | EnergyTech.

If you would like help in looking into how to transport your product efficiently, safely, and with less of a carbon footprint or just find out what is underneath your feet to help with your emission reduction goals, contact us via email in the Blog and check out our ESC website!

We hope you have a wonderful evening!

**Disclaimer: You may be charged a fee to read EnergyTech's article. **