Policy and licensing / United States (federal)

United States (federal): SMR policy and licensing

Policy and licensing pilot: selected federal measures and selected state measures for Texas and Indiana, chosen for their relevance to tracked projects. This is not a complete list of laws, rules or programmes for any jurisdiction, and a jurisdiction without a page here has not been reviewed. Nothing here ranks places or implies that a project is eligible for, or approved under, any measure.

Laws, rules and executive directives

• 10 CFR Part 53: risk-informed, technology-inclusive licensing framework · In effect
  91 FR 15696 (final rule, 30 March 2026); docket NRC-2019-0062 · U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission · affects: NRC licensing
  The NRC's Part 53 licensing framework took effect on 29 April 2026. It sets how applications may be reviewed; it approves no design, site or reactor.
  Not approved or pending: Which applicants will use Part 53 is not recorded; no application under Part 53 is recorded here.
• ADVANCE Act of 2024 · In effect
  Pub. L. 118-67, division B (approved 9 July 2024) · U.S. Congress · affects: NRC review fees, NRC licensing
  Federal law enacted on 9 July 2024. The NRC applies its reduced advanced-reactor review rate from 1 October 2025. The Act does not license, fund or approve any particular reactor.
  Not approved or pending: Eligibility for the reduced rate is decided per applicant by the NRC; no project's eligibility is recorded here.
• Emergency preparedness rule for small modular reactors and other new technologies · In effect
  88 FR 80050 (final rule, 16 November 2023); docket NRC-2015-0225 · U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission · affects: NRC licensing, Siting
  Final NRC rule in effect since 18 December 2023 offering SMRs and other new technologies an alternative emergency preparedness framework. It approves no emergency plan for any site.
  Not approved or pending: Each applicant's emergency plan is reviewed in its own licensing case.
• Executive Order 14299: advanced reactors for national security · In effect
  Executive Order 14299, 90 FR 22581 (signed 23 May 2025) · President of the United States · affects: DOE test-reactor authorization, Siting
  Directive to federal agencies, signed 23 May 2025. It sets agency goals; it does not license or approve any particular reactor.
  Not approved or pending: Agency actions under the order are separate; none is recorded here as complete.
• Executive Order 14300: reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission · In effect
  Executive Order 14300, 90 FR 22587 (signed 23 May 2025) · President of the United States · affects: NRC licensing
  Directive to the NRC, signed 23 May 2025, with an 18-month target (late November 2026) for final revised rules. It grants no licence itself.
  Not approved or pending: Revised NRC rules under the order are partly proposed; see the proposed rules linked here.
• Executive Order 14301: reactor testing at the Department of Energy · In effect
  Executive Order 14301, 90 FR 22591 (signed 23 May 2025) · President of the United States · affects: DOE test-reactor authorization
  Directive to DOE, signed 23 May 2025, that led to the DOE Reactor Pilot Program.
  Not approved or pending: DOE authorization of a test reactor is not an NRC licence for commercial operation.
• Executive Order 14302: nuclear industrial base · In effect
  Executive Order 14302, 90 FR 22595 (signed 23 May 2025) · President of the United States · affects: Project funding
  Directive to federal agencies, signed 23 May 2025. It appropriates no money and makes no project award.
  Not approved or pending: Funding decisions under the order are separate records when made.
• Generic environmental impact statement rule for licensing new nuclear reactors · In effect
  91 FR 22394 (final rule, 24 April 2026); docket NRC-2020-0101 · U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission · affects: Environmental review
  Final NRC rule effective 26 May 2026 that lets environmental reviews of new reactor applications rely on generic findings. It is not an environmental decision on any project.
  Not approved or pending: Each application still needs its own site-specific environmental review and decision.

Bills, proposed rules and consultations

• Proposed licensing requirements for microreactors and comparable reactors · Proposed — not in effect
  91 FR 23628 (proposed rule, 1 May 2026); docket NRC-2025-0379 · U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission · affects: NRC licensing
  NRC proposal published 1 May 2026; the comment period closed on 15 June 2026. It is not in effect.
  Not approved or pending: Not adopted: no final rule had been published by 3 October 2026.
• Proposed modernization of reactor licensing, safety oversight and siting practices · Proposed — not in effect
  91 FR 44560 (proposed rule, 16 July 2026); docket NRC-2025-0975 · U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission · affects: NRC licensing, Siting
  NRC proposal published 16 July 2026 under the Commission's revision of its rules ordered by Executive Order 14300; comments closed 31 August 2026. It is not in effect.
  Not approved or pending: Not adopted: no final rule had been published by 3 October 2026.

Funding and support programmes

• DOE Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (demonstration awards) · In effect
  DOE Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program · U.S. Department of Energy · affects: Project funding
  DOE programme that made its first demonstration awards on 13 October 2020; continued funding depends on appropriations and DOE approval.
  Not approved or pending: Funding beyond the initial awards depends on future appropriations.
• ARDP demonstration award: TerraPower (Natrium) · Awarded
  ARDP initial award to TerraPower, 13 October 2020 · U.S. Department of Energy · affects: Project funding
• ARDP demonstration award: X-energy (Xe-100) · Awarded
  ARDP initial award to X-energy, 13 October 2020 · U.S. Department of Energy · affects: Project funding
• DOE Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor programme · In effect
  DOE Gen III+ SMR solicitation (16 October 2024; modified 24 March 2025) · U.S. Department of Energy · affects: Project funding
  DOE programme with two first-mover selections on 2 December 2025 (TVA and Holtec, up to $400 million each) and eight further selections on 14 May 2026 (more than $94 million for early site permits and supply chains).
  Not approved or pending: Selections are cost-shared commitments, not disbursements; final award terms are not recorded here.
• Gen III+ SMR selection: TVA (Clinch River BWRX-300) · Selected — award terms not recorded as final
  DOE Gen III+ SMR selection of TVA, 2 December 2025 · U.S. Department of Energy · affects: Project funding
• Gen III+ SMR selection: Holtec (Palisades SMR-300) · Selected — award terms not recorded as final
  DOE Gen III+ SMR selection of Holtec, 2 December 2025 · U.S. Department of Energy · affects: Project funding
• Gen III+ SMR selections of May 2026: early site permits and supply chain · Selected — award terms not recorded as final
  DOE Gen III+ SMR selections of eight companies, 14 May 2026 · U.S. Department of Energy · affects: Project funding, Siting
• DOE Reactor Pilot Program · In effect
  DOE request for applications DE-FOA-0003569 (18 June 2025) · U.S. Department of Energy · affects: DOE test-reactor authorization
  DOE programme opened in June 2025, with initial selections on 12 August 2025. DOE reports four zero-power criticality demonstrations under it by July 2026. A DOE authorization is not an NRC commercial licence.
  Not approved or pending: Selection is not authorization to operate; each reactor needs its own DOE approvals, and commercial operation needs NRC licensing.

No award or selection recorded.

NRC permissions and applications for tracked US projects and designs

Project and design permissions are separate from the general measures above.

Construction permission

• Clinch River Unit 1 construction permit — TVA Clinch River BWRX-300
  Construction permission · Issued / approved · NRC · decided 2026-09-28 · permit CPAR-2 · docket 50-615 · 91 FR 63311
  The NRC's Federal Register notice (on public inspection 3 October 2026, scheduled for publication 5 October) gives 28 September 2026 as the issue date of construction permit CPAR-2 to TVA for Clinch River Nuclear Unit 1; TVA announced the permit the following day. No construction start has been announced; a permit is not a physical construction start.
  Sources: Federal Register 91 FR 63311 (5 Oct 2026): Clinch River Nuclear Unit 1 construction permit and record of decision; TVA construction permit announcement
• TerraPower Natrium construction permit — Natrium Kemmerer Unit 1
  Construction permission · Issued / approved · NRC · decided 2026-03-09 · permit CPAR-1 · docket 50-613 · ADAMS ML26034B247 · 91 FR 12628
  The NRC issued construction permit CPAR-1 on 9 March 2026 to US SFR Owner, LLC (TerraPower) for Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1, after the Commission's 4 March 2026 decision on the uncontested hearing. The permit authorizes construction only; an operating licence is a separate NRC decision.
  Sources: Federal Register 91 FR 12628 (16 Mar 2026): Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 construction permit and record of decision; NRC TerraPower Natrium / Kemmerer
• Pioneer Units 1 and 2 phased construction permit application (with limited work authorization request) — Holtec Pioneer Units 1 and 2 (SMR-300 at Palisades)
  Construction permission · Under review · NRC · submitted 2025-12-31 · docket 50-616, 50-617 · 91 FR 62565
  Holtec filed Part 1 of a phased construction permit application for two SMR-300 units (Pioneer 1 and 2) at the Palisades Energy Center on 31 December 2025, including a limited work authorization request. The NRC accepted it for docketing in February 2026 and began weekly notices of receipt on 1 October 2026. Neither the limited work authorization nor a construction permit has been issued.
  Sources: Federal Register 91 FR 62565 (1 Oct 2026): Pioneer Units 1 and 2 phased construction permit application with limited work authorization request; NRC news 26-008 Holtec Pioneer LWA
• Dow Long Mott construction permit application — Long Mott Generating Facility (Xe-100 at Dow Seadrift)
  Construction permission · Under review · NRC · submitted 2025-03-31 · docket 50-614 · 90 FR 24428 · 91 FR 53900
  Long Mott Energy's construction permit application, dated 31 March 2025, was accepted and docketed by the NRC. The Commission scheduled a hearing session for 22 September 2026; no permit decision is recorded here. The May 2026 environmental finding for an exemption is not a permit.
  Sources: Federal Register 90 FR 24428 (10 Jun 2025): Long Mott Generating Station construction permit application; Federal Register 91 FR 53900 (20 Aug 2026): Long Mott Generating Station notice of hearing; NRC / ANS Dow Long Mott Xe-100 EA-FONSI
• Kairos Hermes 2 construction permit — Kairos Hermes 2
  Construction permission · Issued / approved · NRC · decided 2024-11-21 · permit CPTR-7, CPTR-8 · docket 50-611, 50-612 · 89 FR 94767
  The NRC issued construction permits CPTR-7 and CPTR-8 for the two-unit Hermes 2 test reactor facility on 21 November 2024. Operation needs separate operating licences.
  Sources: Federal Register 89 FR 94767 (29 Nov 2024): Hermes 2 test reactor facility construction permits; NRC Kairos Hermes construction permit materials
• ACU Molten Salt Research Reactor construction permit — Natura MSR-1 demonstration at Abilene Christian University
  Construction permission · Issued / approved · NRC · decided 2024-09-16 · permit CPRR-124 · docket 50-610 · ADAMS ML24243A040 · 89 FR 77197
  The NRC issued construction permit CPRR-124 to Abilene Christian University on 16 September 2024 for a non-power molten salt research reactor of up to 1 MWth in the Dillard Science and Engineering Research Center on its Abilene campus. Operation needs a separate operating licence.
  Sources: Federal Register 89 FR 77197 (20 Sep 2024): ACU Molten Salt Research Reactor construction permit; Federal Register 89 FR 18678 (14 Mar 2024): ACU Molten Salt Research Reactor environmental assessment
• Kairos Hermes 1 construction permit — Kairos Hermes 1
  Construction permission · Issued / approved · NRC · decided 2023-12-14 · permit CPTR-6 · docket 50-7513 · 88 FR 88137 · 91 FR 28629
  The NRC issued construction permit CPTR-6 for the Hermes non-power test reactor on 14 December 2023. A 13 May 2026 order extended the latest construction completion date from 31 December 2026 to 30 April 2029. Operation needs a separate operating licence.
  Sources: Federal Register 88 FR 88137 (20 Dec 2023): Hermes test reactor construction permit; Federal Register 91 FR 28629 (18 May 2026): Hermes test reactor construction completion date extension; NRC Kairos Hermes construction permit materials