The department said it will establish cost-shared agreements with private industry to support the design and licensing of the SMRs.
DOE secretary Steven Chu said the funding opportunity is a significant step forward in designing, manufacturing and exporting US small modular reactors, advancing the country’s competitive edge in the global clean energy race.
The move comes on the heels of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s certification of Westinghouse Electric’s AP1000 nuclear reactor design, which was supported through a cost-shared agreement with the DOE.
