Programmes and agreements / prg-us-doe-nric-nuclear-energy-launch-pad

DOE / NRIC Nuclear Energy Launch Pad (reactor and fuel-cycle developer selections)

The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad, run by DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy and the National Reactor Innovation Center, emerged from the Reactor Pilot and Fuel Line Pilot programmes and offers selected developers a prioritised path to DOE authorisation, testing and deployment support. First selections in April 2026 named Deployable Energy, General Matter, NuCube Energy and Radiant, a second round in August 2026 selected 13 projects from 12 companies including Antares, Oklo, Valar Atomics, Forge Atomics and Scaled Atomics. Selections do not identify new plants or sites.

Not a deployment project. SMR plans, agreements, studies and government programmes that are not (yet) a single deployment project. They are listed separately and are never counted as projects or reactors.

Type

Government programme

Countries concerned

United States

Participants and roles

• Government: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy
• Research: Idaho National Laboratory
• Developer or vendor: Deployable Energy
• Developer or vendor: General Matter
• Developer or vendor: NuCube Energy
• Developer or vendor: Radiant Industries
• Developer or vendor: Antares Nuclear
• Developer or vendor: Oklo Inc.
• Developer or vendor: Valar Atomics
• Developer or vendor: Forge Atomics
• Developer or vendor: Scaled Atomics

Designs named

—

Scale as stated

round 1 (Apr 2026): 4 companies, round 2 (Aug 2026): 13 projects from 12 companies

Announced or first reported

Apr 2026

Status

Active
Selections give access to NRIC technical, regulatory and deployment support, selections are not commitments to build specific plants.

Confidence

medium

Last checked

2026-10-14 (record review date, not proof of current activity)

Related deployment projects

• No related deployment project is recorded here.

Sources

• DOE selects first companies for Nuclear Energy Launch Pad (reputable_press, published 28 Apr 2026, accessed 2026-10-14)
• INL: new Nuclear Energy Launch Pad participants and USA pathway scope (government_primary, published 24 Aug 2026, accessed 2026-10-13)
• Second round of Launch Pad selections includes eight newcomers (reputable_press, published 25 Aug 2026, accessed 2026-10-14)
• Antares selected for Nuclear Energy Launch Pad (company_primary, accessed 2026-10-14)