Energy Department to Fund Gen III+ Small Modular Reactor Deployment

The Department of Energy has allocated up to $900 million to support the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of strengthening the domestic nuclear industry.

In support of President Joe Biden’s Invest in America agenda, the DOE will fund the initial rollout of Generation III+ small modular reactor technologies. Funding will come from a bipartisan infrastructure law designed to support the United States’s clean energy agenda amid the growing calls for clean, reliable power.

The grants will be offered in two tiers: the first tier will support two first-mover teams of utility, reactor vendor, constructor, and end-users or power off-takers, and the second tier aims to spur Gen III+ SMR deployments, the Energy Department said.

Ali Zaidi, assistant to the President and national climate advisor, said that the administration has been working to expand the country’s clean energy capabilities by partnering with stakeholders to “reinvigorate the existing nuclear fleet, jumpstart new reactor technologies, and onshore critical fuel production.”

The Energy Department has been funding research initiatives focused on clean energy. In August, small businesses received research and development grants from the DOE to support efforts to decarbonize, protect national security and support the Biden-Harris administration’s climate goals.