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

Catch up

2026-08-06 · Oklo · 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 groundbreakingCompany-reported source ↗Latest developments →
Next gate: Natrium · Kemmerer Unit 1 Submit and secure the separate NRC operating license before fuel loading or operation.Every project’s gate →
EO 14302 Industrial base · In progressSource ↗Federal tracker →
2026-06-23 · $17.5B American Nuclear Supply Chain Loans · Conditional · not closedSource ↗Capital stack →

Latest developments

All updates →

2026-08-06
Oklo · 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 ↗
2026-08
Valar Atomics · Venture equity
$1B Series B at a $6B valuation · Sequoia Capital (lead)
Company-reported source ↗
2026-08
Valar 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
Aurora pilot reactorStage 6 · Physical deployment
Complete construction, load fuel, and reach initial criticality; the NRC combined license is a separate track toward commercial operation.
Owner · Oklo, DOE Idaho Operations, and NRC

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.

Filter18 of 18

Operational
Nuclear construction
DOE-authorized build
Under review
Contracted
Announced, non-binding

Full key ↓

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
Show all 18 companies ↓
1. Radiant Industries
  Kaleidos · 1 MWe per unit · Microreactor
  No announced pipeline on record
  Contracted · 1 MWe
2. Aalo Atomics
  Aalo-X · 10 MWe per unit · Microreactor
  Announced framework on record, capacity not disclosed
  No executed megawatts · announced pipeline only
3. Antares Nuclear
  R1 · 0.3 MWe per unit · Microreactor
  No announced pipeline on record
  No executed or announced megawatts on record
4. BWXT
  Project Pele / BANR · 1.5 MWe per unit · Microreactor
  Announced framework on record, capacity not disclosed
  No executed megawatts · announced pipeline only
5. 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
6. Deployable Energy
  Unity · 1 MWe per unit · Microreactor
  No announced pipeline on record
  No executed or announced megawatts on record
7. Last Energy
  PWR-20 · 20 MWe per unit · Microreactor
  600 MWe announced, non-binding
  No executed megawatts · announced pipeline only
8. NANO Nuclear Energy
  KRONOS MMR · 15 MWe per unit · Microreactor
  No announced pipeline on record
  No executed or announced megawatts on record
9. 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
10. 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
11. Valar Atomics
  Ward 250 · 5 MWe per unit · Microreactor
  30 MWe announced, non-binding
  No executed megawatts · announced pipeline only
12. Westinghouse
  eVinci · 5 MWe per unit · Microreactor
  No announced pipeline on record
  No executed or announced megawatts on record

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.

Read the roster and band rules

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 ↗

Projects by stage

28 sourced U.S. projects, grouped by strongest documented milestone

STAGE 10 projects

Interest

Exploring the idea

No tracked companies

STAGE 21 project

Preliminary

Early study or nonbinding agreement

Texas A&M University System

STAGE 314 projects

Development

Site, engineering, or licensing work

X-energy Radiant Industries Atomic Alchemy Deep Fission Last Energy Oklo Natura Resources Terrestrial Energy Tennessee Valley Authority Holtec International Westinghouse NANO Nuclear Energy Duke Energy

STAGE 42 projects

Contractual

Binding deal or committed capital

Constellation Energy Nebraska Public Power District

STAGE 51 project

Ready

Final permit, finance, or go-ahead

Constellation Energy

STAGE 65 projects

Physical

Work or fuel at the site

TerraPower Kairos Power BWXT Oklo

STAGE 74 projects

Operational

Criticality through commercial operation

Valar Atomics Aalo Atomics Antares Nuclear Deployable Energy

STAGE 81 project

Replication

Repeat units or fleet delivery

Georgia Power

Federal orders and programs

4 executive orders tracked

EO 14299National security deploymentIn progress EO 14300NRC reformImplementation underway EO 14301DOE reactor testingGoal exceeded · DOE reported four criticalities Open 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 appropriations See the capital stack →

Milestones after criticality

LOW-POWER TESTINGPOWER ASCENSIONFIRST ELECTRICITYFULL POWERREPLICATION

After initial criticality: verify physics and controls, clear regulatory hold points, raise power, connect the balance of plant, demonstrate reliability, then finance and contract repeat units.

Read stage definitions

Follow the evidence

New documents land on the updates page first. Corrections with a source are welcome.

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18 companies are racing to put a gigawatt of new nuclear on the American grid.