Small modular reactor developers are moving through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing pipeline in 2026 as the first advanced reactor permits take shape. NuScale Power holds full NRC certification for its 77-megawatt US460 design, which received Standard Design Approval in May 2025, while Kairos Power holds the first NRC construction permit for an advanced reactor.
Several projects reached key stages. The NRC completed its environmental review of TerraPower in October 2025 and issued a final safety evaluation in December 2025, with a decision on the company's construction permit expected in the first half of 2026. Oklo broke ground on its Aurora powerhouse at Idaho National Laboratory in September 2025. Kairos Power received construction permits to build two test reactor facilities in Tennessee.
Commercial deployment plans are scaling up. NuScale announced a partnership with ENTRA1 Energy and the Tennessee Valley Authority in September 2025 for a 6-gigawatt SMR deployment program, one of the largest planned rollouts in the sector.
The industry has separated into distinct tiers, with 32 companies holding NRC certifications, construction permits, or multi-billion-dollar contracts, including NuScale, TerraPower, Oklo, Kairos Power, X-energy, and GE Hitachi. The activity reflects growing utility and technology-sector interest in factory-built reactors as a faster route to new nuclear capacity.
Source: SMR Intel -- https://smrintel.com/smr-nrc-approval-tracker/