U.S. Department of Energy doubles funding for X-energy's small nuclear reactor project
A $1 billion award pushes the federal government's total commitment to X-energy's Texas reactor project past $2 billion, as the U.S. tries to revive its nuclear industry.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has committed $1 billion in new funding to X-energy, an Amazon-backed advanced nuclear startup, nearly doubling Washington's total investment in the company's first commercial reactor project.
The money will help fund four 80-megawatt-electric reactors that X-energy plans to build at a Dow Chemical facility in Seadrift, Texas, with commercial operation targeted for the early 2030s. The award follows an earlier $1.2 billion commitment in 2021, both structured as 50-50 cost-sharing agreements under the DOE's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
The Seadrift project still needs a construction license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which the company expects to receive in early 2027 after clearing a key environmental review in May.
X-energy CEO J. Clay Sell told investors on an Aug. 13 earnings call that he expects additional federal funding if costs rise further. The company estimated in 2023 that completing its full federal award scope would cost $4.75 billion to $5.75 billion, though it has not updated that figure publicly.
If built, the Seadrift reactors would replace Dow's aging steam and power systems, cutting the plant's annual greenhouse gas emissions by about 440,000 metric tons, the company said.
This brief is based on reporting by Brian Martucci, published Sept. 23, 2026, on Canary Media. Read the original: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/nuclear/federal-funding-x-energy-small-nuclear-reactor
This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by an editor before publication.
