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ARTICLE · 14 AUGUST 2025

Inside DOE's 10-Reactor Fleet Program: A Practical Guide

Foley & Lardner LLP
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) unveiled its Reactor Pilot Program – also known as the 10 Reactor Fleet Program – in reaction to one of the May 23, 2025 Executive Orders directed at nuclear energy.

United StatesEnergy and Natural Resources
Jocelyn E. Lavallo
Jocelyn E. Lavallo
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) unveiled its Reactor Pilot Program – also known as the 10 Reactor Fleet Program – in reaction to one of the May 23, 2025 Executive Orders directed at nuclear energy. Section 5 of Executive Order 14301 ("Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy") directed DOE to establish a pilot program to facilitate reactor construction, operation and authorization outside of national laboratories. DOE issued its Request for Applications (RFA) for this program on June 18, 2025.

The RFA makes it clear that DOE will consider reactor designs with a reasonable chance of being online by July 4, 2026, which is an aggressive deadline. The initial application deadline was July 21, 2025, but DOE is accepting subsequent applications on a rolling basis, and the program is therefore anticipated to also apply to projects expected to be online after the 2026 deadline. The general idea is for DOE to approve up to 10 nuclear designs that

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