NRC Approves Construction Permit for TerraPower

• NRC Issues  Construction Permit For TerraPower Reactor in Wyoming
• TerraPower’s Statement on NRC’s Decision
• TerraPower’s Natrium Reactor Enters UK GDA Process
• INL’s NRIC Opens a Launch Pad for Advanced Nuclear Technologies
• Inertia Raises $450 Million To Build a Fusion Laser
• Shine Raises $240 Million in New Funding for Fusion Technologies
• Proxima Fusion To Develop Fusion Power in Bavaria
• NRC Begins Rulemaking To Establish Fusion Regulatory Framework

NRC Issues First Commercial Reactor Construction Approval in 10 Years For TerraPower in Wyoming

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has authorized the staff to issue TerraPower a construction permit for the company’s Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 commercial nuclear power plant in Kemmerer, WY, which is 150 miles northeast of Salt Lake City..

NRC Chairman Ho Nieh said, “This is a historic step forward for advanced nuclear energy in the United States and reflects our commitment to delivering timely, predictable decisions grounded in a rigorous and independent safety review.”

This is the first commercial reactor the NRC has approved for construction in nearly a decade and the first approval for a non-light water reactor in more than 40 years. NRC staff finished their technical review of this new design in less than 18 months.

Following a streamlined mandatory hearing process, the Commission authorized its Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation to issue the permit, having found the staff’s review of the Kemmerer application adequate to make the necessary regulatory safety and environmental findings. The staff expects to issue the permit soon.

TerraPower filed the application in March 2024, requesting a permit to build the sodium-cooled, advanced reactor design on a site near an existing coal-fired power plant. The NRC staff accepted the application and began formal review in May 2024.

The 345 MW plant includes an energy storage system to temporarily boost output up to 500 MWe when needed. US SFR Owner would need to submit a separate operating license application, and the NRC staff would need to approve it before the facility could operate. More information about new reactor licensing is available on the NRC website.

The NRC staff issued its safety evaluation for the permit in December 2025, and the final environmental impact statement for the site in October 2025.

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TerraPower’s Statement on NRC’s Decision

• TerraPower’s president and CEO, Chris Levesque, issued the following statement

“Today is a historic day for the United States’ nuclear industry. We are beyond proud to receive a positive vote from the Nuclear Regulatory Commissioners to grant us our construction permit for Kemmerer Unit One. This is the first commercial-scale, advanced nuclear plant to receive this permit.”

“Our team has worked relentlessly for over 4 years with the NRC staff to get to this moment. We had extensive pre-application engagement with the NRC; and we submitted a robust and thorough construction permit application almost 2 years ago. We have spent thousands of manpower hours working to achieve this momentous accomplishment.”

“We plan to start construction on the Natrium plant in the coming weeks and look forward to bringing the first Natrium reactor and energy storage system to market in the great state of Wyoming.””

Aerial photo of TerraPower’s reactor site in southwestern Wyoming. Image: TerraPower

TerraPower’s regulatory strategy has been built on providing thorough technical content and robust engagement opportunities to discuss the Natrium technology and design with regulators. This includes extensive engagement through both the pre-application and application phases of this permit process.”

NRC Streamlined the Process

TerraPower was the first developer to submit a construction permit application for a commercial advanced reactor to the NRC in March 2024, it was docketed by the NRC in May 2024. The NRC established an initial 27-month review schedule.

In 2025, the review process was streamlined due to TerraPower’s complete application, the company’s responsiveness to questions, the NRC staff’s dedication to the review process, Congressional support with the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act and President Trump’s Executive Orders that support nuclear energy. The review was completed in 18 months.

About the Natrium Plant

The Natrium technology is the first-mover in the advanced reactor sector and is well positioned to support rapidly increasing energy demand. The Natrium plant design features a 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor with a patented molten salt-based energy storage system. The storage technology can boost the system’s output to 500 MW of power when needed as it is designed to keep base output steady, ensuring constant reliability, and can quickly ramp up when demand peaks — it is the only advanced reactor design with this unique feature.

The first Natrium plant is being developed through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), a public-private partnership. That project is expected to be completed in 2030 and will be the first utility-scale advanced nuclear power plant in the United States.

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TerraPower’s Natrium Reactor Enters UK GDA Process

(WNN) TerraPower’s Natrium 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor, with a molten-salt-based energy storage system, has been accepted into the UK’s Generic Design Assessment process. TerraPower submitted its Generic Design Assessment (GDA) application in October, the first regulatory filing for Natrium technology in a market outside the USA.

The UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said that it, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales had been asked to begin the GDA for the Natrium reactor design after the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s review of TerraPower’s application concluded that the design was ready to enter the process.

A Generic Design Assessment is the process to assess nuclear power plant designs, notably the safety, security and environmental implications. It looks at this aspect separately from applications to build them at specific sites.

The ONR says that by assessing at the design stage, any potential safety, security or environmental concerns can be identified and highlighted so “they can be addressed before commitments are made to construct any reactors based on that design. GDA is also designed to be generic, allowing the results of the regulators’ assessment to potentially be applied to multiple sites where that design is subsequently constructed”.

Recently, social media giant Meta announced that its future nuclear energy plans included funding to support the development in the U.S. of up to eight Natrium sodium fast reactors – two new units capable of generating up to 690 MW of firm power with delivery as early as 2032, plus the rights for energy from up to six other Natrium units capable of producing 2.1 GW and targeted for delivery by 2035. The Natrium reactor is a TerraPower and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy technology.

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INL’s NRIC Opens Nuclear Launch Pad for Advanced Nuclear Technologies

The U.S. Department of Energy and the National Reactor Innovation Center are proud to announce the establishment of the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad.

This NRIC initiative will promote the rapid development and implementation of advanced nuclear technologies by private industry.

The Launch Pad initiative builds on the success of Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program, creating a strong innovative ecosystem to speed up advanced nuclear technology deployment using flexible technical and regulatory frameworks on federal and nonfederal lands.

DOE established the Reactor Pilot Program in June 2025 in response to Executive Order 14301, leveraging DOE authorization and establishing a new DOE pathway for advanced reactor demonstration with the goal of achieving criticality in at least three reactors by July 4, 2026.

In August 2025, DOE established the Fuel Line Pilot Program to support the Reactor Pilot Program and leverage DOE authorization to establish a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain for testing new reactors.

To date, DOE has accepted 11 projects into the Reactor Pilot Program and nine projects into the Fuel Line Pilot Program, demonstrating strong demand and validating the approach. DOE plans to extend and expand the ability for nuclear technology developers to obtain DOE Authorization by transitioning the pilot programs’ new and future applicants to the Launch Pad.

Purpose of the Launch Pad

The Launch Pad will build on DOE’s pilot programs and expand beyond authorization to include the testing and operation necessary to scale first-of-a-kind technologies toward widescale commercial deployment. This integrated approach ensures continuity from initial pilot authorization through extended operational validation, reducing the risk and timelines for advanced reactors and other advanced nuclear facility commercialization.

“The Launch Pad initiative will empower developers by providing the resources and support necessary to advance the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies and contribute to a sustainable and secure energy future for our nation,” said Rian Bahran, DOE deputy assistant secretary for Nuclear Reactors.

“Through this initiative, developers can access infrastructure, expertise, and services essential for the siting, construction, and operation of their nuclear facilities.”

“The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad represents a significant evolution in the ecosystem for advancing nuclear technologies from concept to deployment,” said Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner.

“Launch Pad INL offers nuclear developers something unprecedented: An 890-square-mile federal site with more than 75 years of reactor testing experience, existing infrastructure, direct access to national nuclear expertise and streamlined regulatory pathways — all enabling developers to move from demonstration to deployment at the pace America’s energy security demands.”

The Launch Pad initiative offers two pathways for nuclear developers – Launch Pad Idaho National Laboratory and Launch Pad United States of America.

Launch Pad INL

Launch Pad INL covers more than 2,000 acres, divided into several plots for private nuclear tech developers. Eligible projects include advanced reactors, fuel fabrication, recycling, enrichment and other innovations.

Overall benefits:

• Land suitable for different nuclear applications and regulatory deployment structure.
• Accelerated identification, allocation and assessment of sites.
• Access to INL’s existing utilities and services.
• Direct access to specialized nuclear expertise, as needed.
• Assistance navigating the complexities of nuclear regulations for DOE authorization or Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing.
• A flexible contract framework with DOE and INL.

Launch Pad USA

Launch Pad USA will facilitate projects at other DOE sites, national laboratories, and nonfederal sites. This pathway will build upon the successes of DOE’s pilot programs and continue to offer the ability to authorize the operation of nuclear reactors and fuel cycle facilities outside of Idaho National Laboratory.

Overall benefits:

• Remote or project-specific access to specialized nuclear expertise at INL or other national laboratories, as needed.
• Assistance in navigating the complexities of nuclear regulations for DOE authorization.
• A flexible contract framework with DOE.
• High flexibility to leverage unique regional or project-specific advantages.

When to apply

NRIC will accept and evaluate applications for the Launch Pad annually, with the initial request for applications (RFA) expected in the next few months. Application requirements and review criteria will mirror those used in the DOE Reactor and Fuel Line Pilot Programs RFAs.

This will ensure that companies that have already applied for the pilot programs can seamlessly transition to NRIC Launch Pad without reapplying. To learn more about Launch Pad, visit nric.inl.gov. NRIC will also host an Industry Day in conjunction with the release of the RFA for nuclear energy developers that will be announced at a later date. (Launch Pad FAQ website)

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~ Fusion Energy News ~

Inertia Raises $450 Million To Build a Fusion Laser’

• The startup is backed by Google Ventures and other venture capital firms

(NucNet) California-based fusion energy startup Inertia Enterprises has raised $450m  in funding to build a fusion pilot plant backed by investment from venture capital company Bessemer and firms including Google Ventures.

In a statement, Inertia said the capital would advance the company’s plans to build ‘Thunderwall’, which it said would be the world’s most powerful laser, as well as building a production line to mass manufacture fuel targets at scale. (Inertia Technology FAQ)

The company, founded in 2024, said its ultimate aim was to deliver grid-scale energy, and claimed it would bring to market the the only proven fusion energy that produces more power than it consumes.

The company said its power design was based on a laser beam delivering a 10 kJ beam 10 times per second. Thunderwall’s performance will be 50 times as powerful – measured in average power – as any prior laser of its type.

Laser fusion, or inertial confinement fusion, is a method of generating clean energy by using high-powered lasers to implode a tiny fuel capsule containing deuterium and tritium. Intense laser beams hit a target, creating a plasma that causes an rapid implosion, compressing the fuel to 4,000 times solid density.

When the compressed, super-hot fuel ignites, it releases more energy than the lasers delivered to the target.

“Our plan is clear: build on proven science to develop the technology and supply chain required to deliver the world’s highest average power laser, the first fusion target assembly plant, and the first gigawatt, utility-scale fusion power plant to the grid,” said Jeff Lawson, co-founder and chief executive officer of Inertia.

The company’s other co-founder is Annie Kritcher, who worked as lead designer of fusion experiments at the federal National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Kritcher led a laser design that achieved “the first controlled fusion experiment to achieve net target energy gain”, producing more energy than went in to the experiment.

“We’re now focused on translating physics we know works into a pathway toward commercial-scale fusion energy, and the real benefits it can deliver for people and the planet,” said Kritcher.

The company’s third co-founder is Mike Dunne, who joined from Stanford University and research facility SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. He has also led the UK’s Central Laser Facility.

“For the first time, the fusion industry is seeing the alignment of three elements crucial to commercialization: proven physics, public sector partnerships, and private sector investment needed at the scale to deliver,” said Dunne.

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SHINE Raises $240 Million in New Funding

SHINE Technologies, a nuclear fusion company based in Janesvile, WI, announced it has raised $240 million in equity funding, and appointed Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., Executive Chairman of ImmunityBio and founder of NantWorks, to its Board of Directors. The round was led by NantWorks with additional participation from Fidelity Management & Research Company, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, Pelican Energy Partners, Deerfield Management, Oaktree Capital Management, and other existing investors.

The investment will support SHINE’s commercial fusion technology across its current portfolio of products and services – providing neutron testing that qualifies mission-critical components for defense and aerospace and supplying radioisotopes that power targeted cancer therapies and diagnostic imaging.

The funding also marks the beginning of the company’s next stage of growth – developing technology to recycle used nuclear fuel and building toward commercial fusion energy production.

“Fusion energy is one of the most important technologies humanity will ever develop — it will forever change how we power our species, and is already having major impact across advanced manufacturing, healthcare and recycling,” said Greg Piefer, founder and CEO of SHINE. “Dr. Soon-Shiong is a visionary who has spent his career turning breakthrough science into products that have made the world better. We are honored to have him as a partner.”

Dr. Soon-Shiong is a physician scientist, serial entrepreneur, and multi-sector investor who has built and sold two major pharmaceutical companies, founded the NantWorks ecosystem spanning healthcare, technology, and media. He has developed a multitude of FDA-approved therapies that have reached patients globally. Across all of it, his research has returned to the same challenge: how to transform cancer care and harness the immune system, and reduce the toxicities of standard high dose chemo-radiation therapy. That conviction aligns directly with where oncology is heading. Lu-177-based therapies deliver targeted radiation precisely to cancer cells, and researchers are actively studying how combining that approach with immune activation could produce more durable patient outcomes.

“This partnership is about harnessing powerful science to serve humanity. SHINE’s leadership in fusion technology and Lu-177 production aligns with my lifelong mission to make cancer treatment more precise, targeted, and ultimately curative by activating the patient’s immune system. Lu-177 is currently approved as a radio ligand targeting prostate cancer cells and the opportunity to further expand this difficult to manufacture technology is exciting. I’m honored to join SHINE’s Board as we translate breakthrough science into real-world impact for patients and society,” said Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder and Executive Chairman of NantWorks and ImmunityBio.

In connection with Soon-Shiong’s $150 million investment, NantWorks and SHINE have entered a strategic partnership that includes priority access arrangements for Lu-177 supply from SHINE, positioning both organizations to advance the next generation of targeted cancer treatment.

SHINE has now raised more than $1 billion in total funding, reflecting sustained investor confidence in its commercially-driven path to fusion energy.

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Proxima Fusion Signs MoU With RWE & Bavaria To Develop Fusion Power

• Company aims to build demonstrator before building commercial unit

(NucNet) German company Proxima Fusion has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with utility major RWE, the region of Bavaria, and the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) as it delivers a roadmap to build a nuclear fusion plant.

In January, the company laid out plans to build a test reactor called Alpha in Garching, to build a commercial scale fusion reactor plant called Stellaris within 15 years at a nuclear site at Gundremmingen being decommissioned by RWE, and to build a commercial reactor using laser-based technology in southern Bavaria.

Proxima Fusion said in a statement that under the MOU, its partners would work together on site selection, permitting and regulatory processes, project structure and financing.

Proxima Fusion would take the lead on engineering, public procurement processes and construction. RWE would provide its experience in operating power plants and its global industrial network.

The company said the cost of its Alpha demonstration reactor alone was $1.7bn, while it did not detail the cost of the two other plants. The company said that it aimed to finance 20% of the total project costs through private investment. A further 20% would potentially come from the state of Bavaria funding, and RWE would also contribute. Proxima Fusion said that they would also apply for federal funding from Germany.

The company’s Stellaris reactor (right) will use high-temperature superconducting magnets in a stellarator. A stellarator is a doughnut-shaped ring of precisely positioned magnets that can contain the plasma from which fusion energy is born.

Proxima is designing QI stellarators, a magnetic confinement fusion approach in which toroidal currents cancel out to zero, resulting in stable and continuous operation. The company is leveraging recent advances in stellarator optimization, computational design, and superconductivity to build on the achievements of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator experiment at the Max Planck Institute of Plasma Physics

While Germany has closed its nuclear power plants, the government has shown support for fusion research and aims to be the first country to connect a fusion reactor to the grid.

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NRC Begins Rulemaking To Establish Fusion Regulatory Framework

• FIA industry group welcomes move towards ‘thriving fusion energy economy’

(NucNet) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has proposed amendments to its regulations to make the existing byproduct material framework inclusive of fusion machines.

The NRC’s proposal published in the Federal Register would revise title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Parts 30 and 20, which govern domestic licensing of byproduct material, to cover the possession, use and production disposal of radioactive material associated with fusion machines.

The NRC said the rule is designed to be “technology-inclusive and risk-informed” to accommodate a wide range of anticipated fusion machine designs across the National Materials Program.

The commission said the rule implements congressional direction under the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act of 2019 and the ADVANCE Act to establish an efficient and predictable regulatory framework for emerging nuclear technologies.

The NRC said benefits will include clearer requirements, reduced need for exemptions and improved regulatory efficiency.

Alongside the proposed rule, the NRC has opened a 90-day public comment period. The commission said comments will be accepted until 27 May, with at least one public meeting planned during the consultation period.

The Fusion Industry Association (FIA) said the move marks “an important and nearly final step in solidifying specific and clear fusion regulations” in the US. The FIA said the new rule is expected to be finalized and published in October.

“The implementation of this rule serves as an important step towards building a thriving fusion energy economy in the US,” said the FIA.

The association has said previously that the US needs targeted federal investment of billions of dollars and a strategy that speeds up commercialization of nuclear fusion reactors if it is to match the ambition of China and other competitors.

The appeal came in December 2025 as fusion energy industry leaders met with US Department of Energy (DOE) officials to urge them ​to allocate billions of dollars for projects seeking to generate electricity ‌by fusion.

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