Leah Clark
Leah Clark is a Managing Director in the McAllister & Quinn Advanced Technology Practice. Leah holds a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan, where her research, funded by the NNSA Consortium for Monitoring, Technology, and Verification, focused on radiation detection for nuclear nonproliferation efforts, bringing specialized experience in nuclear engineering, energy, and technology policy to her role at McAllister & Quinn.
Inside DOE’s Revamped SMR Funding Opportunity
On March 24th, the Department of Energy re-issued a $900 million funding opportunity announcement for the Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor Pathway to Deployment program. This program is a joint effort between DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy and the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, with support from the National Nuclear Security Administration. The program intends to de-risk the deployment of Generation III+ light-water small modular (Gen III+ SMR) reactors.
The funding opportunity, which was first introduced during the Biden administration, has been updated to align with the policies of the Trump administration. This re-issue modification includes the removal of community benefits requirements and program policy factors. The core technical components, requirements, and criteria remain largely unchanged. New and previous applicants must submit their applications by April 23rd to be considered for funding.
DOE Funding Focus: Overcoming Barriers to SMR Deployment
There are several challenges that projects face including cost reliability, license uncertainty, and resource maturity factors (workforce shortage, supply chain bottlenecks, tight capital flow). This opportunity aims to assist awardees in overcoming such adoption challenges while creating a credible and sustainable pathway to fleet-level deployment of Gen III+ SMRs. Therefore, applicants must be prepared to accelerate Gen III+ SMR deployments and support the development of the initial Gen III+ SMR orderbooks. The Department of Energy will prioritize projects that exhibit the highest probability of a successful deployment and the greatest potential to develop a Gen III+ SMR orderbook and contribute to the resilience of the domestic nuclear industry.
Funding Tiers: The First Movers & The Fast Followers
Federal awards under this solicitation will be made under two tiers. Tier 1 offers two critical opportunities to spur “first mover” teams to deploy the first Gen III+ SMRs in the US. Tier 2 provides multiple funding opportunities for “fast follower” deployment support, which will address setbacks that have previously hurt domestic nuclear industry advancement. Both tiers require a federal share for all awards less than or equal to 50% of total project costs.
Tier 1 anticipates awarding two teams of utility, reactor vendor, constructor, and end-users/off-takers for projects that are near term grid scale deployment of domestic Gen III+ SMR technologies that are reliable, licensable, commercially viable, and have a demonstrated path towards a multi-reactor orderbook. This tier will provide up to $800M split between the two teams along with the opportunity to work with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to incorporate safeguards and security by design into the projects. Eligible entities must include a lead applicant who is a US commercial electric utility, a US end-user teamed with a utility, a US project development company teamed with a utility, or an incorporated consortium that includes a utility. Gen III+ SMR technology vendors, fuel manufacturers, supply chain vendors, EPC contractors, and other domestic nuclear industry entities can also participate in multiple applications for this opportunity.
Tier 2 is for fast follower deployment support and anticipates distributing multiple awards for projects up to 5 years. These projects will promote additional Gen III+ SMR deployments by addressing gaps in design, licensing, site preparation, and supplier development that have hindered the domestic nuclear industry.
Approximately $100M will be split between the awards. Tier 2 is comprised of three sub tiers:
- Tier 2.1 focuses on SMR Site Selection and Preparation and is eligible for planned US owners or utilities for domestic Gen III+ SMR deployment projects, along with support from reactor technology vendors, fuel manufacturers, supply chain vendors, EPC contractors, and other domestic nuclear industry entities.
- Tier 2.2 centers on SMR Supply Chain Development for domestic entities looking to improve the domestic supply chain for near-term Gen III+ SMR deployment.
- Tier 2.3 concentrates on SMR Project Improvement for US owners or utilities for domestic Gen III+ SMR deployment projects, including support from such entities seen under Tier 2.1.
The Trump Administration Is All In on Nuclear
This latest announcement is further evidence that the Trump administration will continue to invest in nuclear power technologies including SMRs, fusion, and other technologies at the forefront of innovation. On his first day in office, President Trump signed executive orders that declared a national energy emergency and set forth to unleash American energy. These orders, amongst many items, address the inadequate energy supply and infrastructure in the US and seek to undue burden imposed on the identification, development, or use of domestic energy resources including nuclear energy.
To follow, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright signed his first Secretarial Order Unleashing the Golden Era of American Energy Dominance that seeks to unleash American energy innovation and commercial nuclear power. Through these points, the Department will prioritize energy technologies deemed as affordable, reliable, and secure, including advanced nuclear, and prioritize technological breakthroughs such as nuclear fusion. Earlier in March, Secretary Wright praised nuclear companies and SMR technology at the ARPA-E Innovation Summit and DOE’s Loan Program Office provided $50M+ loan disbursement to a nuclear power plant project.
Maximize Your Chances for SMR Funding Success with Our Expertise
If you are interested in learning more about the Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor funding opportunities or need assistance navigating the application process, McAllister & Quinn is here to help. Our team of experts, including those with deep knowledge of nuclear energy and technology policy, can provide strategic guidance, proposal development, and help align your project with federal funding opportunities.
Contact us today to see how we can support your efforts in advancing nuclear technologies and securing federal funding.
About McAllister & Quinn: McAllister & Quinn is a leading Federal grants consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations secure funding for impactful projects and initiatives. Based in Washington, DC, McAllister & Quinn’s unique approach has helped clients secure over $16 billion in competitive grant funding from across a broad spectrum of federal agencies, foundations and other sources.