Texas A&M Offers Land for SMR Development
Chancellor John Sharp announced Tuesday he has offered land near the Texas A&M University campus to four nuclear reactor companies to build the latest small modular reactors, or SMRs. Until now, reactor manufacturers – along with the most powerful names in Big Tech – have not been able to find a suitable place to build clusters of nuclear reactors that can supply the power needed for artificial intelligence endeavors, data centers, and other projects.
“Plain and simple: the United States needs more power,” Sharp said. “And nowhere in the country, other than Texas, is anyone willing to step up and build the power plants we need. Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott and others in Texas state government, Texas A&M System stands ready to step up and do what is necessary for the country to thrive.”
Nuclear Companies Join Forces
Chief executive officers from four nuclear companies – Kairos Power, Terrestrial Energy, Natura Resources, and Aalo Atomics – have agreed to work with the System to bring reactors to Texas A&M-RELLIS, a 2,400-acre technology and innovation campus in Bryan, Texas, as part of a project dubbed “The Energy Proving Ground.”
Recent press coverage from Business Insider and the Houston Chronicle has provided additional insights into the plans of the four companies participating in the Energy Proving Ground:
Kairos Power is evaluating how many reactors it might build at the site. 'From there, we would plan on commercial expansion and deployment, and that's where the opportunity in Texas comes in,' said Kairos Power CEO Mike Laufer. Laufer also noted that Kairos recently struck a deal with Google, which plans to purchase nuclear energy from multiple SMRs.
Terrestrial Energy plans to build its first 'commercial demonstration' power plant with two reactors totaling 400 megawatts of electricity capacity. 'The plan is to build a first one at RELLIS,' Irish said, 'but the opportunity for us and our industrial partners that are involved in the RELLIS project, including Texas A&M, is to deploy a fleet of these systems in Texas, nationally, and internationally too.’
Natura Resources, which received a construction permit in September for a test reactor at Abilene Christian University—the second such permit for any advanced reactor issued by federal regulators—plans to deploy its first commercial reactor, approximately 100 megawatts in capacity, at the RELLIS Campus before 2030. CEO Douglass Robison emphasized the need to “demonstrate that you can license an advanced reactor,” calling it a key milestone for the investment community.
Aalo Atomics aims to build nuclear plants 'purpose-built for data centers,' CEO Matt Loszak said. 'The goal would be to build a few of these plants to help power data centers at the RELLIS Campus,' Loszak said.
Texas A&M’s Role in Advanced Energy Research
Texas A&M is currently seeking $200 million from the Texas Legislature to help finance infrastructure improvements at RELLIS that will support this initiative. If approved, Texas A&M would be the only higher education institution in the country with a commercial nuclear reactor site license, reinforcing the university’s role in both research and commercial energy innovation.
This project at Texas A&M-RELLIS is part of the Texas A&M System’s broader commitment to advancing nuclear research, education, and energy production. System officials believe the Energy Proving Ground will position Texas A&M as a leader in sustainable, advanced energy solutions to meet the growing energy demands of the world.
Shaping the Future of Clean Energy
“The agreements that the Texas A&M System has with Kairos, Natura, Terrestrial and Aalo are going to change the energy landscape for the whole country,” said Dr. Joe Elabd, Vice Chancellor for Research at Texas A&M. “The Energy Proving Ground will allow these companies to safely test their SMRs and set the stage for deploying small nuclear reactors across the country.”
As electricity demand continues to surge due to population growth and technological advancements such as AI computing, this initiative ensures that Texas A&M and its partners are at the center of the clean energy future.
The Greater Brazos Partnership’s Support
The Greater Brazos Partnership is proud to support initiatives that drive innovation and economic growth in the region. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the impact of this development on local industry and investment opportunities, please feel free to reach out.