U.S. Advanced Nuclear Deployment Tracker
Updated July 6, 2026 · Selected U.S. advanced reactor projects based on publicly available information. See the legend at the end of the page.
| Company / Project | Site | Milestone progress | Target / note | Milestone reference |
|---|
Completed / issued / approved
Under formal review / accepted for review
NRC pre-application engagement only — no application filed
In progress
Announced / planned
Not yet initiated
Not applicable as separate step
- NRC pre-application
- Early engagement with NRC before a formal licensing application. It does not mean NRC approval.
- NRC SDA
- Standard Design Approval — NRC design approval. It does not authorize construction or operation at any site.
- NRC CP application / review
- A construction permit application has been submitted, accepted, docketed, or is under NRC review. It is not a construction permit.
- NRC CP issued
- A construction permit has been issued. It authorizes construction, not fuel loading or operation.
- NRC OL
- Operating License — required before fuel loading and reactor operation under the Part 50 two-step path.
- DOE NSDA
- Nuclear Safety Design Agreement — DOE design-level safety milestone. It is not equivalent to an NRC SDA.
- DOE PDSA
- Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis — DOE project/site safety step. It is not equivalent to an NRC CP.
- DOE DSA / readiness
- DOE final documented safety and readiness sequence before criticality or operation. It is not equivalent to an NRC OL.
- DOD pathway
- Department of Defense demonstration or acquisition authority. It is separate from NRC and DOE civilian pathways.
Important: This tracker compares milestones across different authorization systems, but those systems are not legally equivalent. A green dot under NRC "Design approval" means NRC SDA only when an SDA exists. A green dot under DOE "Design approval" means a DOE design/safety milestone such as NSDA, PDSA, DSA, or equivalent depending on the project. A green dot under "Site auth." may mean NRC CP issued, DOE PDSA/DSA approved, or DOD project authorization depending on pathway. These are not interchangeable. Construction, fuel loading, criticality, and operation remain separate milestones. This tracker is a high-level strategic overview based on public information, not a regulatory determination.