For NuScale Power SMR, regulatory head start may be one of its strongest advantages. In the small modular reactor (“SMR”) industry, many companies are still years away from obtaining full regulatory approvals. NuScale is ahead of many competitors on the regulatory front. It is the only SMR developer to receive U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval for two separate reactor designs under the Part 52 framework.
NuScale first received NRC Standard Design Approval for its 50-megawatt reactor design before securing Design Certification in 2023. Last year, the company also received approval for its 77-megawatt module design. Those approvals give NuScale a regulatory foundation that many advanced nuclear peers are still working to achieve.
The advantage is not just about credibility. It could also help shorten commercialization timelines. Large customers considering nuclear deployment— including utilities, hyperscalers, and industrial operators— are likely to prefer technologies that already have established licensing pathways. That reduces uncertainty around deployment schedules, permitting and project execution.
NuScale believes this becomes even more important for behind-the-meter applications tied to AI infrastructure and industrial facilities. The company says it remains the only NRC-approved SMR technology designed for a site-boundary emergency planning zone (“EPZ”) under the Part 52 framework. A smaller EPZ could make it easier to deploy reactors closer to hyperscale data centers and large industrial sites compared with traditional nuclear plants. That positioning is quite valuable as electricity demand rises alongside AI adoption and industrial electrification.
