Microreactor developer Last Energy has partnered with Texas A&M to build a pilot reactor at the Texas A&M–RELLIS campus in Bryan, Texas.

The pilot will test the feasibility of Last Energy’s 5MW PWR-5 reactor, a scaled-down version of its planned commercial 20MW PWR-20 reactor. In February, the company announced that it was planning to build 30 microreactors in Haskell County, Texas, to serve the US data center market.

The pilot project is expected to serve as a prelude to this deployment, representing Last Energy’s first reactor deployment. Testing is expected to begin next summer. Initial operations will focus on low-power criticality testing, with later phases evaluating the reactor’s ability to generate electricity for the grid.

According to the company, it has secured a land lease at the RELLIS site, obtained a full core load of low-enriched uranium fuel, signed an agreement with the US Department of Energy, and begun formal licensing submissions.

The pilot was selected to participate in the US DOE’s New Reactor Pilot Program, joining names such as Oklo and Radiant. The program aims to provide an accelerated pathway for testing advanced reactor designs towards commercialization.

Last Energy has said the RELLIS microreactor demonstration will be financed with private capital.

DOE selects TVA and Holtec for funding

In other nuclear news, the DOE selected the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Holtec as the first recipients of federal funding to support the initial deployment of Generation III+ small modular reactors (SMRs).

The program was launched back in October 2024 with up to $800 million allocated for the first two-mover projects. An additional $100m is reserved to address deployment and supply chain gaps. The solicitation was reissued in March to align with the Trump administration’s energy and AI infrastructure agenda.

TVA will use the funding to support the deployment of its BWRX-300 SMR at its Clinch River site in East Tennessee. The BWRX-300 is a 300MW SMR designed by GE Vernova Hitachi, based on boiling water reactor technology. TVA submitted a construction permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in May, which is currently evaluating the proposal. TVA has said that the Clinch River project aims to serve as a deployment model for future projects.

Holtec will use the funding to support the deployment of two of its 300MW SMR-300, based on pressurized water reaction technology. Holtec will install the reactors at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station site in Michigan. The units, known as Pioneer 1 and 2, are scheduled to enter service in the early 2030s. The company is working with Hyundai Engineering & Construction on plant construction.

SMRs and microreactors have gained increasing support from the data center sector over the past 18 months. Over this period, Amazon, Google, Data4, Oracle, Switch, and Equinix have all signed long-term deals with SMR firms.