The US Department of Energy widened its financial support for advanced nuclear reactor developers in 2026, part of a broader federal push to accelerate domestic deployment. In May 2026, eight companies received a combined 94 million dollars to address gaps holding back the domestic nuclear industry, adding to a series of larger programs aimed at moving new reactor designs toward construction.
The department's Generation III plus SMR program is designed to provide up to 900 million dollars to support deployment of advanced reactors and scale up production. Separately, a reactor pilot program is leveraging DOE authority to expedite research and development, with a goal of at least three reactor designs reaching criticality by mid-2026. The department selected 11 projects to pilot their designs through the new pathway, and three had secured a Final Documented Safety Analysis as of May 2026.
Individual awards illustrate the scale. X-energy was named an awardee under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, a public-private cost-share partnership to develop its Xe-100 demonstrator reactor and TRISO-X fuel fabrication facility. The agreement provides for 50 percent reimbursement of up to 2.4 billion dollars in eligible costs through 2027.
New federal infrastructure supports the effort as well. The DOME microreactor test bed opened at Idaho National Laboratory in April 2026, and DOE established a Nuclear Energy Launch Pad to help developers demonstrate advanced technologies on federal and non-federal lands.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy - https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/one-year-after-executive-orders-us-nuclear-energy-renaissance-full-swing