Interest
Exploring the idea
No tracked companies
18 companies are racing to put a gigawatt of new nuclear on the American grid.
None of them has generated a commercial megawatt yet. This is where each one stands, measured in evidence rather than announcements.
0 MWe operational across all 18 entrants. Each figure below is a separate frame. They are never added together.
0MWe operationalGrid-connected commercial power
440MWe being builtNRC-permitted or DOE-authorized, work documented
1,981MWe on executed actionsEverything documented, applications included
40,075MWe announced, non-bindingMOU, LOI, or target. No binding documents
The race board
18 companies building new-design reactors for U.S. deployment, ranked by the strongest state their megawatts have actually reached. Tracked sample, as of 2026-08-06.
- Operational
- Nuclear construction
- DOE-authorized build
- Under review
- Contracted
- Announced, non-binding
TerraPower
Natrium · 345 MWe per unit · Grid-scale SMR
3,490 MWe announced, non-binding, runs past the line Nuclear construction · 345 MWe
Kairos Power
KP-FHR · 140 MWe per unit · Grid-scale SMR
480 MWe announced, non-binding Nuclear construction · 20 MWe
Oklo
Aurora · 75 MWe per unit · Grid-scale SMR
13,755 MWe announced, non-binding, runs past the line DOE-authorized build · 75 MWe
Holtec International
SMR-300 · 300 MWe per unit · Grid-scale SMR
2,040 MWe announced, non-binding, runs past the line Under review · 600 MWe
X-energy
Xe-100 · 80 MWe per unit · Grid-scale SMR
4,680 MWe announced, non-binding, runs past the line Under review · 320 MWe
GE Vernova Hitachi
BWRX-300 · 300 MWe per unit · Grid-scale SMR
3,000 MWe announced, non-binding, runs past the line Under review · 300 MWe
Radiant Industries
Kaleidos · 1 MWe per unit · Microreactor
No announced pipeline on record Contracted · 1 MWe
Aalo Atomics
Aalo-X · 10 MWe per unit · Microreactor
Announced framework on record, capacity not disclosed No executed megawatts · announced pipeline only
Antares Nuclear
R1 · 0.3 MWe per unit · Microreactor
No announced pipeline on record No executed or announced megawatts on record
BWXT
Project Pele / BANR · 1.5 MWe per unit · Microreactor
Announced framework on record, capacity not disclosed No executed megawatts · announced pipeline only
Deep Fission
Gravity Reactor · 15 MWe per unit · Microreactor
2,000 MWe announced, non-binding, runs past the line No executed megawatts · announced pipeline only
Deployable Energy
Unity · 1 MWe per unit · Microreactor
No announced pipeline on record No executed or announced megawatts on record
Last Energy
PWR-20 · 20 MWe per unit · Microreactor
600 MWe announced, non-binding No executed megawatts · announced pipeline only
NANO Nuclear Energy
KRONOS MMR · 15 MWe per unit · Microreactor
No announced pipeline on record No executed or announced megawatts on record
NuScale Power
NuScale Power Module / VOYGR · 77 MWe per unit · Grid-scale SMR
6,000 MWe announced, non-binding, runs past the line No executed megawatts · announced pipeline only
Terrestrial Energy
IMSR · 195 MWe per unit · Grid-scale SMR
4,000 MWe announced, non-binding, runs past the line No executed megawatts · announced pipeline only
Valar Atomics
Ward 250 · 5 MWe per unit · Microreactor
30 MWe announced, non-binding No executed megawatts · announced pipeline only
Westinghouse
eVinci · 5 MWe per unit · Microreactor
No announced pipeline on record No executed or announced megawatts on record
No entrant matches that filter. Clear it to see all 18 companies.
How to read the bars
The track runs to 1,200 MWe. The vertical rule is one gigawatt. Each company gets two tracks: megawatts backed by an executed action on top, announced and non-binding megawatts on the fainter track below. The two are never added together, and announced megawatts never change the ranking.
- Operational
- 0 MWe across 0 entrants. Grid-connected and generating commercial power. Authority: Grid operator.
- Nuclear construction
- 365 MWe across 2 entrants. NRC construction permit issued and physical nuclear work documented. Authority: NRC.
- DOE-authorized build
- 75 MWe across 1 entrant. Built under a DOE authorization pathway with physical work documented. Not an NRC license to operate. Authority: DOE.
- Under review
- 1,220 MWe across 3 entrants. Construction-permit or combined-license application docketed and in active regulator review. Authority: NRC.
- Contracted
- 321 MWe across 2 entrants. An executed, funded agreement for a named project, whether offtake, order, delivery, or development funding, not yet in regulator review. Each claim says which kind it is. Authority: Counterparty.
- Announced, non-binding
- 40,075 MWe across 13 entrants. MOU, LOI, master agreement, or announced target. No executed project documents. Authority: None.
For scale: the most recent new American nuclear capacity was 2,234 MWe total at Vogtle Units 3 and 4, the first two U.S. AP1000 units, finished in 2024-04. Every company on the board is trying to do it smaller and faster. Georgia Power commercial-operation record ↗
Latest developments
All updates →- 2026-08-06Oklo · Criticality
Groves reached first criticality in Caldwell County, Texas, the first Reactor Pilot Program reactor to do so on private land and a greenfield site, under a year from groundbreaking · A zero-power critical assembly. DOE's environmental determination puts its maximum power at 100 watts, and Oklo states it does not generate electricity for the grid. Contributes 0 MWe.
Company-reported source ↗ - 2026-08Valar Atomics · Venture equity
$1B Series B at a $6B valuation · Sequoia Capital (lead)
Company-reported source ↗ - 2026-08Valar Atomics · Venture debt
$200M credit facility, announced alongside the Series B · Erebor Bank (lead), J.P. Morgan, Crescent Cove, Hercules Capital
Company-reported source ↗
Next gates
Every project’s next gate →- Natrium · Kemmerer Unit 1Stage 6 · Physical deployment
Submit and secure the separate NRC operating license before fuel loading or operation.
Owner · TerraPower and NRC - Hermes 2Stage 6 · Physical deployment
Complete nuclear construction, request operating licenses, then load fuel and test.
Owner · Kairos Power and NRC - Molten Chloride Reactor ExperimentStage 6 · Physical deployment
Complete fuel production, install the experiment in LOTUS, obtain authorization, and begin the planned test campaign.
Owner · INL, Southern Company, TerraPower, and DOE - Project PeleStage 6 · Physical deployment
Deliver the reactor module, complete safety review, assemble, fuel, and begin testing.
Owner · DoD, BWXT, and DOE Idaho Operations
Projects by stage
28 sourced U.S. projects, grouped by strongest documented milestone
Preliminary
Early study or nonbinding agreement
Development
Site, engineering, or licensing work
Contractual
Binding deal or committed capital
Ready
Final permit, finance, or go-ahead
Physical
Work or fuel at the site
Operational
Criticality through commercial operation
Replication
Repeat units or fleet delivery
Federal orders and programs
4 executive orders tracked
EO 14299National security deploymentIn progressEO 14300NRC reformImplementation underwayEO 14301DOE reactor testingGoal exceeded · DOE reported four criticalitiesOpen the federal tracker →Loans and cost shares
3 instruments, never summed
$17.5BAmerican Nuclear Supply Chain LoansConditional · not closed$1.52BPalisades restart loanClosed · licensing conditions remain$3.2BARDP planned federal cost shareSubject to appropriationsSee the capital stack →Follow the evidence
New documents land on the updates page first. Corrections with a source are welcome.