New pilot opens path to build and operate U.S. fuel infrastructure.

As the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) prepares to select its first test reactors, a new pilot program will authorize private industry to build the nuclear fuel lines needed to power them – a decisive step toward restoring fuel independence, advancing nuclear deployment, and displacing foreign supply.

Over the last several years, the U.S. government has taken a series of steps to reestablish its nuclear fuel cycle and accelerate deployment of advanced reactor technologies-launching demonstration programs, restarting shuttered plants, awarding enrichment and deconversion contracts, and releasing high-assay, low-enriched uranium from federal stockpiles.

Launched in June, DOE initiated a pilot program to support the construction and operation of advanced nuclear test reactors at sites outside the National Laboratories – establishing a new regulatory pathway for early-stage developers to demonstrate reactor performance under federal oversight.

Developed under recent executive direction, the program calls for initial selections by year-end and sets a July 4, 2026, deadline for operational criticality, forming a key benchmark in the federal push to reinstate secure reactor capability inside U.S. borders.

With domestic fuel capabilities still constrained and global supply chains in flux, DOE is now moving to enable private-sector development of nuclear fuel infrastructure, extending federal support beyond demonstration toward the systems required to sustain long-term deployment.

Launched under new federal authority to fast-track construction and bypass legacy bottlenecks, the fuel line pilot builds on a May directive instructing DOE to establish non-commercial reactor programs outside the national laboratories and ensure fuel availability across defense and energy sites.

Issued as a formal request for application, the program invites qualified U.S. companies to construct and manage these systems with federal approval, with initial submissions due by Aug. 15 and additional applications accepted on a rolling basis.

Selections will be based on technological readiness, demonstrated fuel fabrication plans, and financial viability, with applicants responsible for all costs tied to construction, operation, and decommissioning – along with securing their own nuclear material feedstock.

Concurrently, agencies have been directed to identify and repurpose uranium stockpiles, prioritize enriched fuel for AI and national security infrastructure, and authorize private-sector projects on federally controlled land – measures designed to compress timelines, reduce permitting delays, and rebuild complete domestic nuclear fuel capability.

"America has the resources and the expertise to lead the world in nuclear energy development, but we need secure domestic supply chains to fuel this rapidly growing energy source and achieve a true nuclear energy renaissance," said Energy Secretary Chris Wright. "The Trump Administration is accelerating innovation, not regulation, and leveraging partnerships with the private sector to safely fuel and test new reactor designs that will unleash more reliable and affordable energy for American consumers."