The US Department of Energy (DOE) has re-issued a $900m solicitation to support the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) “to better align with President Trump’s bold agenda to unleash American energy and AI dominance”.

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said: “America’s nuclear energy renaissance starts now. Abundant and affordable energy is key to our nation’s economic prosperity and security. This solicitation is a call to action for early movers seeking to put more energy on the grid through the deployment of advanced light-water small modular reactors.”

DOE said US electricity demand is forecast to soar in the coming years driven by consumer needs, data centre growth, increased AI use, and the industrial sector’s need for constant power. “Small modular reactors could provide reliable power for these energy-intensive sectors, with the added benefit of flexible deployment thanks to their compact size and modular design. Light-water small modular reactors could also leverage the existing service and supply chain supporting the country’s current fleet of light-water reactors, helping speed up the near-term deployment of new nuclear reactors.”

DOE is offering funding to de-risk the deployment of Generation III+ light-water small modular reactors (Gen III+ SMR) through two tiers:

  • Tier 1: First Mover Team Support will provide up to $800m to support up to two first mover teams of utility, reactor vendor, constructor, and end-users/off-takers committed to deploying a first plant while facilitating a multi-reactor, Gen III+ SMR orderbook and the opportunity to work with the National Nuclear Security Administration to incorporate safeguards and security by design into the projects.
  • Tier 2: Fast Follower Deployment Support will provide approximately $100m to spur additional Gen III+ SMR deployments by addressing key gaps that have hindered the domestic nuclear industry in areas such as design, licensing, supply chain, and site preparation.

The changes to the initial solicitation issued in October were made to keep the project in tune with the Trump administration’s policies, DOE said. The modifications include removal of all community benefits information required in the initial solicitation. The funding amount description and references on the programme’s second tier for fast follower deployment support was also reworded to “approximately $100m” from the initial “up to $100m.”

The selection of awardees will be solely based on technical merit. Applications are due on 23 April. “Previous applicants who applied to the 2024 solicitation must resubmit their proposals following the new guidance to receive consideration. New applications are also welcome.”

The Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor (Gen III+ SMR) Program aims to speed the demonstration of Gen III+ nuclear reactor technologies, bridging the gap between the current fleet of reactors and more advanced reactor designs that will be demonstrated through the Advanced Reactor Demonstrations Program (ARDP). “The goal of the Gen III+ SMR Program is to fund projects that will build and deploy these new nuclear reactors and address the gaps that hinder the US nuclear industry.”