Four companies were competitively chosen from the initial pool of applicants previously submitted under DOE's Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program. The selected participants are Deployable Energy, General Matter, NuCube Energy and Idaho State University, Radiant Industries. These companies may now begin formal discussions with NRIC on the technical, regulatory, and deployment support that the Launch Pad program is structured to provide.
NRIC Director Brad Tomer described the program as an expansion of earlier DOE pilot efforts. "Nuclear Energy Launch Pad builds on the foundation of DOE's pilot programs to open new doors for developers - broadening the scope beyond reactor and fuel technologies to welcome a wider range of nuclear technologies and applications, and creating more pathways, more flexibility and more opportunities to move promising technologies to deployment," Tomer said.
The Launch Pad replaces the Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program, both of which are no longer accepting applications. NRIC intends to issue an official call for new Launch Pad applications in the coming weeks, with additional participant selections anticipated later in 2026.
The program offers two distinct pathways for developers. Launch Pad INL covers nuclear projects sited at Idaho National Laboratory, while Launch Pad U.S.A. supports nuclear projects at locations outside INL with adaptable regulatory and technical assistance. The dual-pathway structure is intended to accommodate a broader range of project types and deployment contexts than prior pilot programs permitted.
Related Links
National Reactor Innovation Center
Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
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