Energy

The Department of Energy announced the start of its pilot program, which will partner with 11 advanced reactor projects, aiming to bolster the nuclear energy industry (E&E News, subscription).

Big goals: The program aims to get a minimum of three reactors deployed by July 4 of next year.

The background: “The announcement comes as the Trump administration looks to reinforce domestic supply chains and expand U.S. nuclear energy capacity to 400 gigawatts by 2050.”

• “The June announcement of the program came shortly after Trump’s executive order calling for reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.”

The participants: Companies involved in the program include advanced nuclear energy company Oklo—which is conducting two advanced reactor projects.

• The 10 companies in total will cover all the costs related to the test reactors, from design through construction all the way to decommissioning, according to the DOE.

The DOE says: “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.”

The NAM says: “Nuclear energy is a safe, emissions-free component of America’s energy dominance strategy. It’s also essential for meeting additional energy needs that have arisen with the growth in data centers and the use of AI,” said NAM Vice President of Domestic Policy Chris Phalen.

• “This program will give the nuclear energy industry an important boost—to the benefit of manufacturers and all Americans.”