Last Energy has announced a groundbreaking partnership with the Texas A&M University System to develop a microreactor pilot project at the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus.
The project will feature Last Energy's PWR-5 reactor, a 5-megawatt electric (MWe) unit designed as a scaled version of the company's flagship commercial product, the PWR-20.
The PWR-5 will demonstrate low-power criticality and electricity generation, serving as a testbed for commercial deployment. With full-core fuel already secured, a lease signed at the RELLIS campus, and a formal licensing process underway, the pilot is set to become a key step in U.S. microreactor commercialization.
"We're partnering with Texas A&M to usher in the next Atomic Era," said Bret Kugelmas, Founder and CEO of Last Energy. "With fuel in hand, an optimal site at RELLIS, and DOE authorization underway, we have the ideal conditions to demonstrate a standardized, scalable microreactor product in the United States."
The project supports Texas A&M's broader mission to accelerate energy innovation. Glen Hegar, Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, emphasized the public-private partnership's role in solving modern energy challenges. Calling the project "bold" and "forward-looking."
The pilot is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Reactor Pilot Program authorized under Executive Order 14301.
The initiative positions Texas as a national leader in advanced nuclear energy development.
Robert Albritton, chairman of the Texas A&M Board of Regents, called the pilot a "proud moment" for the university system.
This collaboration between Last Energy and the Texas A&M University System marks a pivotal moment in the advancement of clean, reliable, and scalable nuclear energy in the United States.
