A significant advancement in nuclear energy for the state of Texas is on the horizon, thanks to a collaboration between the Texas A&M University System and developer Last Energy.
Both firms have announced the deployment of a pilot microreactor at the Applied Research Campus, known as Texas A&M-RELLIS, according to A&M System News.
This project will feature a scaled version of Last Energy's PWR-20 reactor design. Investments in microreactors like these are crucial for developing low-carbon energy sources, particularly in rural areas.
The PWR-20 design is a 5-megawatt reactor that, in the first phase of development, will demonstrate safe, low-power criticality before being used to generate electricity for the grid.
"This pilot project [is] an example of what's possible when we try to meet the needs of the state and tap into the latest technologies," said Robert Albritton, chairman of the Board of Regents of the Texas A&M University System.
The project is fully financed by private capital, testing is expected to begin in the summer of 2026, and it marks Last Energy's first reactor deployment project in the U.S.
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With additional support from the U.S. Department of Energy under its New Reactor Pilot Program — established in May in response to four nuclear energy-related executive orders issued by President Donald Trump — the program aims to streamline the nuclear testing process and develop a fast-tracked pathway for commercial reactor licensing.
"With fuel in hand, an optimal site at RELLIS, and DOE authorization underway, we have the ideal conditions to demonstrate a standardized, scalable microreactor product to the United States," said Bret Kugelmass, founder and CEO of Last Energy.
Utility-scale nuclear power-generated electricity has decreased in recent years after a peak in 2018, but it is beginning to pick back up as artificial intelligence data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations impose greater demands on grids. For context, in 2023, 18.6% of all utility-scale electricity in the United States was generated by nuclear, making it the largest source of low-carbon energy in the country.
Increased investment in both wind and solar energy will also help mitigate the adverse effects of planet-warming gases produced when electricity is generated by dirty fuel sources.
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