The Department of Energy has introduced a new pathway to expedite testing of advanced nuclear reactor designs.
In a request for applications, DOE said it is seeking companies that can construct and operate test reactors outside of the national laboratories. Submissions are due on July 21.
Table of Contents
DOE Announces Accelerated Authorization Process for Nuclear Reactors
According to the agency, the nuclear reactors will not provide commercial power or services but will serve as research, development and demonstration of the technology.
DOE will select at least three proposals for approval to ensure that criticality can be achieved in each of the nuclear reactors by July 2026.
Interested parties may participate in an upcoming industry day to be held at the offices of the Nuclear Energy Institute in Washington, D.C., and online on Zoom. Registration for the event is open until Friday, June 20.
Establishing the US as a Global Nuclear Energy Leader
The program is in line with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order, Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy, which was signed in May to drive innovation and accelerate the domestic production of advanced nuclear technologies.
“For too long, the federal government has stymied the development and deployment of advanced civil nuclear reactors in the United States,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright commented. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are expediting the development of next-generation nuclear technologies and giving American innovators a new path forward to advance their designs, propelling our economic prosperity and bolstering our national security.”
Related Articles
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday voted 26-3 to pass a bill that would appropriate $851.9 billion in discretionary defense funding for fiscal year 2026. Weapons Systems Procurement The committee said Thursday the proposed FY 2026 Defense Appropriations Act would allocate $171.3 billion for weapon systems procurement and $140.5 billion for platform research, development and testing. The measure includes a $280 million increase in funding for F-135 spare engines and an additional $500 million for F-35 sustainment spare parts; an additional $216 million for drone and counter-drone tech capabilities; $4.6 billion more for air and missile defense efforts; and a
NASA wants to team up with industry to develop advanced space technologies for future commercial or government use. The space agency on Wednesday issued an announcement of collaboration opportunity, or ACO, to solicit partnership proposals. Managed by the Space Technology Mission Directorate, the ACO gives industry partners access to NASA subject matter expertise, facilities, software and hardware to accelerate and enhance capability development. According to NASA, the ACO will be open for five years and will serve as an umbrella opportunity for topic-specific appendices that would be released every six to 12 months to address evolving needs. For the 2025
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., head of the Department of Health and Human Services, and other government and healthcare technology leaders have committed to delivering a patient-centric digital health ecosystem. At an event hosted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at the White House, over 60 companies pledged to collaborate and deliver results that benefit the public in the first quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, 11 health systems and providers said they will support patient use. Seven electronic health record companies pledged to facilitate data exchange. According to Kennedy, bureaucrats and entrenched interests have made health data inaccessible to patients,