Top 10 SMR Projects: TVA’s 6 GW Deal and Meta’s Procurement for U.S. Deployment (2024-2026)

The Small Modular Reactor (SMR) sector in the United States is decisively transitioning from design to deployment, driven by landmark regulatory approvals and surging electricity demand from data centers. This shift is underscored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granting the first construction permit for a commercial advanced reactor in decades to Terra Power in March 2026. This milestone, combined with massive offtake commitments like TVA’s 6 GW development plan and Meta’s 6.6 GW nuclear procurement strategy, signals that the market has moved beyond theoretical potential into tangible commercial activity. The dominant theme between 2024 and 2026 has been the cementing of SMRs as a critical solution for providing firm, 24/7 power to energy-intensive industries, particularly AI and digital infrastructure.

1. Terra Power – Natrium Reactor (Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1)

Company: Terra Power
Installation Capacity: 345 MWe (base), 500 MWe (peak)
Applications: Commercial grid power, industrial energy, coal plant replacement
Source: A Historic First: NRC Clears Terra Power’s Natrium Nuclear Reactor for Construction

2. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) – Clinch River Nuclear Site

Company: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Installation Capacity: Up to 6 GW
Applications: Large-scale grid power, data center energy supply
Source: Tennessee Valley Authority signs agreement for 6 GW of small nuclear

3. X-energy & Dow – Seadrift Coke Calcination Plant

Company: X-energy / Dow
Installation Capacity: 320 MWe (4 x 80 MWe units)
Applications: Industrial decarbonization, process heat and power for chemical manufacturing
Source: Dow and X-energy Advance Landmark Nuclear Project in Texas …

4. Kairos Power & TVA – Hermes 2 Demonstration Reactor

Company: Kairos Power / TVA
Installation Capacity: 150 MWe (commercial dual-unit plant)
Applications: Demonstration of Gen-IV technology, commercial grid power
Source: TVA Inks First U.S. Utility PPA for Gen IV Nuclear Power in …

5. Holtec International – Palisades SMR Deployment

Company: Holtec International
Installation Capacity: 600 MWe (2 x 300 MWe units planned)
Applications: Repowering a former nuclear site, long-term grid stability
Source: NRC Approves Restart of Palisades NPP – Neutron Bytes

6. Nu Scale Power – VOYGR Plant Design

Company: Nu Scale Power
Installation Capacity: 77 MWe per module
Applications: Generic design for utility grid power, process heat, and desalination
Source: Nu Scale Power’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Achieves Standard …

7. Oklo – Aurora Powerhouse

Company: Oklo Inc.
Installation Capacity: 15 MWe
Applications: Power for data centers, remote communities, and defense installations
Source: Oklo Breaks Ground at INL for First Aurora Powerhouse SMR

8. Last Energy – Texas Data Center Microreactors

Company: Last Energy
Installation Capacity: 600 MWe (30 x 20 MWe units)
Applications: Direct power for data centers via private Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
Source: Last Energy Announces Plans For 30 Texas Microreactors To Power …

9. U.S. Department of Defense – Project Pele & Domestic Base Microreactors

Company: U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
Installation Capacity: 1-5 MWe per unit
Applications: Energy resilience and security for critical domestic military bases
Source: Army Goes Nuclear: Microreactors Set for US Bases By 2028

10. New York Power Authority (NYPA) – SMR Development Initiative

Company: New York Power Authority (NYPA)
Installation Capacity: Up to 1 GW
Applications: Integration of advanced nuclear into a state clean energy portfolio
Source: New York Power Authority launches RFIs for development of 1 GW …

Table: Top 10 U.S. SMR Projects (2024-2026)

SMR Adoption, Data Centers Drive 6.6 GW Procurements from Meta

The primary catalyst for SMR adoption has become the insatiable energy demand from the technology sector. Projects are increasingly framed not just as grid decarbonization tools, but as direct power sources for data centers and heavy industry. This is evident in two distinct but parallel adoption tracks. The first is large-scale, utility-led deployment, exemplified by TVA’s plan to build up to 6 GW of SMR capacity at its Clinch River site. The second, and more disruptive, model is distributed generation for specific customers. Oklo and Last Energy are pioneering this approach by targeting data centers directly, as validated by Meta’s landmark January 2026 agreement with Oklo. Furthermore, the X-energy project with Dow in Texas highlights another critical application: providing high-temperature process heat and power to decarbonize hard-to-abate industrial sectors.

U.S. Deployment, TVA and Terra Power Lead SMR Projects

Geographically, SMR deployment is coalescing in states with favorable regulatory environments, existing nuclear workforces, and clear economic drivers. Wyoming is the site of the nation’s most advanced project, Terra Power’s Natrium reactor, which benefits from its location at a retiring coal plant. Tennessee is emerging as a major hub, hosting TVA’s massive Clinch River development with GE Hitachi and Kairos Power’s demonstration reactor, leveraging the state’s deep nuclear history. Texas and Michigan are also key players, with X-energy’s industrial project in Texas and Holtec International’s plan to add SMRs at the Palisades site in Michigan. Even New York, through the New York Power Authority’s 1 GW RFI in November 2025, is signaling a strategic shift toward including advanced nuclear in its long-term energy plans.

Key States Emerge for SMR Projects

The map visually represents the geographic concentration of SMR deployment in states like Wyoming and Tennessee, which is the central topic of this section.

(Source: American Nuclear Society)

1 st Construction Permit, Terra Power’s Advanced Reactor Milestone

Recent projects reveal a market with varying levels of technological maturity, all progressing in parallel. The most significant milestone is Terra Power’s NRC construction permit for its Gen-IV sodium-cooled fast reactor, moving this advanced technology from theory to a concrete construction project. In the light-water SMR category, Nu Scale Power holds the only NRC-certified design, a key de-risking achievement, though it is currently seeking a new lead utility partner. GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300, while not yet certified, has immense momentum through its partnership with TVA. Meanwhile, microreactors are charting a different path. Oklo is pursuing rapid deployment at Idaho National Laboratory, and Last Energy is using a novel legal strategy to accelerate its projects in Texas, indicating a bifurcated strategy where smaller reactors target speed-to-market for specific off-takers.

SMR Market Consolidates Around a Few Projects

This chart illustrates the market’s winnowing process from many designs to a few concrete projects, aligning with the section’s discussion of technological maturity and key milestones like Terra Power’s permit.

(Source: CleanTechnica)

Terra Power’s 2030 Timeline, A Scenario for SMR Deployment

The single most critical expectation for the U.S. SMR market is the successful, on-schedule, and on-budget construction of Terra Power’s Natrium reactor. Its performance will serve as the commercial and regulatory blueprint for all subsequent advanced reactor projects and will heavily influence investor and utility confidence.

• If Terra Power’s construction in Wyoming proceeds without major delays or cost overruns through 2027, watch for a wave of new utility partnerships and firm offtake agreements for other Gen-IV designs in 2028 and beyond. The project’s success will validate the business case for replacing retiring fossil fuel assets with advanced nuclear.
• The docketing of construction permit applications by TVA in July 2025 and X-energy in April 2025 demonstrates that the regulatory pipeline is active and processing multiple designs. This concurrent review process is a strong positive signal that the NRC is building the capacity to handle a new generation of reactors.
• The massive procurement deals from tech giants like Meta in January 2026 are already de-risking the demand side of the equation. This trend is likely to accelerate, with other large corporations seeking to secure carbon-free, 24/7 power for their operations, creating a competitive market for SMR output before reactors are even built.

Nuclear Energy Interest Reaches New Peak

This chart shows the surge in discourse around nuclear energy, providing context for the high expectations and renewed investor confidence described as being critical to the SMR market’s future.

(Source: Ark Invest)

The questions your competitors are already asking

This report covers one angle of the U.S. Small Modular Reactor (SMR) market’s transition from design to deployment. The questions that matter most depend on your work.

• Which SMR companies are gaining or losing ground in the race for NRC licensing and utility contracts?
• What is actually happening with TVA’s 6 GW SMR development plan since the announcement?
• What is the outlook for SMR deployment to power AI data centers by 2030?
• Which utility operators are adopting SMRs for coal-to-nuclear transitions?

This report does not answer these. Enki Brief Pro does.

Your question, your angle, your framework. SWOT, PESTL, scenario modelling. The same niche depth, built around the decision your work actually depends on.

Run your first brief in Enki Brief Pro