Key Metrics
12.98
Heat Index-
Impact LevelMedium
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Scope LevelNational
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Last Update2025-08-27
Key Impacts
Positive Impacts (7)
Negative Impacts (1)
Event Overview
Represents the intersection of government policy initiatives and technological startup competition in the energy sector, emphasizing regulatory acceleration and innovation in advanced nuclear technology. Highlights dynamism in the energy industry where small ventures vie for official approval under a national framework, underscoring broader themes of policy-driven innovation, energy transition efforts, and the strategic prioritization of emerging technologies by government agencies.
Collect Records
DOE Selects 10 Startups for Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program Under Trump Policy
The Department of Energy (DOE) selected 10 small nuclear reactor developers last week to compete for safety design approvals in a new nuclear reactor pilot program, with a goal of advancing technology quickly and having at least three new pilot plants operating by July 4, 2026. Most of these companies were founded in the San Francisco Bay Area or have technology veterans in executive positions. Startups such as Terrestrial Energy and Aalo Atomics are among the selected participants, while established nuclear developers like Westinghouse Nuclear and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy were not included. President Donald Trump signed executive orders in May that initiated the program, which calls for an expedited pathway for reactor design approval by allowing designs tested and certified by either DOE or the Defense Department to bypass further review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.