The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved NuScale Power's uprated small modular reactor design rated at 77 megawatts electric per module, the second SMR design to clear the agency's design approval process. NuScale remains the only SMR developer holding full NRC design approval.
The uprate raises output per module from the earlier certified design, which changes plant economics for utilities evaluating multi module configurations. A higher per module rating reduces the number of modules needed to reach a target plant output, lowering both the module count and the associated balance of plant scope.
Other developers are working through different points in the process. The Tennessee Valley Authority construction permit application for a GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 at Clinch River near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, backed by a $400 million Department of Energy grant, stands as the closest a US utility has come to breaking ground on a small modular reactor. The NRC has set a December 2026 target for completing its safety analysis on that application. TerraPower has a construction permit application for its Natrium design under active NRC review, and Meta signed an agreement with TerraPower covering up to eight Natrium plants.
Several additional licensing decisions on small modular designs are expected from the commission during 2026.
Source: Utility Dive - https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nrc-approves-nuscale-small-modular-reactor-smr/749538/