Small modular reactor developers are moving through licensing and into construction as demand for firm, carbon-free power draws large utility and technology customers. NuScale Power remains the only SMR company with full NRC design certification, and the commission has approved its uprated 77 megawatt-electric reactor design, the second SMR design to clear the agency.
Other developers are close behind. TerraPower and Kairos Power hold the most advanced NRC engagement among the next group. For TerraPower's Natrium reactor, the NRC completed its environmental review in October 2025 and issued a final safety evaluation in December 2025, with a permit decision expected in the first half of 2026. Construction is already underway at several sites. TerraPower broke ground on the first US advanced reactor at Kemmerer, Wyoming, and Oklo's Aurora Powerhouse broke ground at Idaho National Laboratory in September 2025.
Commercial commitments are scaling up. The Tennessee Valley Authority and ENTRA1 Energy announced an agreement to deploy up to six gigawatts of new nuclear power using NuScale technology, one of the largest SMR commitments to date. Meta separately entered an agreement with TerraPower for up to eight Natrium plants, signaling that major technology firms view advanced nuclear as a path to power data center growth.
Among Western projects, the GE Vernova and Ontario Power Generation BWRX-300 at Darlington stands closest to commercial operation, with a licensed construction site and a target of 2029. The activity points to an SMR sector transitioning from design approval toward first deployments as buyers line up long term power.
Source: SMR Intel - https://smrintel.com/smr-nrc-approval-tracker/