NRC approves 4 new nuclear reactors at a Dow plant in Texas

Most new nuclear projects in America spend years stuck in regulatory limbo. This one didn't. On Nov. 10, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a construction permit. It covers four small nuclear reactors at a Dow Chemical plant in Seadrift, Texas. The reactors, built by X-energy, will run the plant, not the power grid. It's the first approval of its kind in nearly 60 years.

These aren't the giant reactors that power whole cities. X-energy's Xe-100 design is a 'small modular reactor.' That means smaller, factory-built units. They're meant to be cheaper and faster to build than traditional nuclear plants. Dow wants the heat and electricity to run its own chemical operations, cutting its reliance on gas and coal. The approval took the NRC under a year. That's fast by nuclear-industry standards. X-energy had already done years of pre-licensing work on the reactor design.

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Will X-energy actually finish building on schedule? Advanced nuclear projects have a rough track record of blowing through timelines and budgets. Just ask anyone who's followed Georgia's Vogtle plant. It came in years late and billions over budget. X-energy's reactors are smaller, and the design has already cleared a safety review, which helps its odds. But a permit to build isn't power on the grid, or heat in Dow's pipes, yet.