The U.S. Department of Energy and the National Reactor Innovation Center are proud to announce the establishment of the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad. This NRIC initiative will promote the rapid development and implementation of advanced nuclear technologies by private industry.

Launch Pad INL covers more than 2,000 acres, divided into several plots for private nuclear tech developers. Eligible projects include advanced reactors, fuel fabrication, recycling, enrichment and other innovations.

The Launch Pad initiative builds on the success of Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program, creating a strong innovative ecosystem to speed up advanced nuclear technology deployment using flexible technical and regulatory frameworks on federal and nonfederal lands.

DOE established the Reactor Pilot Program in June 2025 in response to Executive Order 14301, leveraging DOE authorization and establishing a new DOE pathway for advanced reactor demonstration with the goal of achieving criticality in at least three reactors by July 4, 2026. In August 2025, DOE established the Fuel Line Pilot Program to support the Reactor Pilot Program and leverage DOE authorization to establish a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain for testing new reactors.