Small Modular Reactor Commercialization Act of 2025

This bill aims to speed up the use and manufacturing of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) in the U.S. It raises size limits in federal law so newer, more efficient designs still count as SMRs—moving the per‑unit cap from 300,000 to 500,000 kilowatts and the combined cap from 1,300,000 to 1,500,000 kilowatts. It tells the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to update their rules and guidance to match the bill’s definitions, and it defines a “microreactor” as under 50 megawatts of electric power . The DOE also cannot deny funding for grid‑scale SMR projects just because a single unit is larger than a size cutoff set somewhere between 50 and 500 megawatts. A new DOE‑led working group will identify promising SMR designs, boost U.S. manufacturing and jobs, and report to Congress each year through 2030 on progress and recommendations.

Key points

• Who is affected: NRC, DOE, other federal agencies on the working group (Defense, State, Commerce, Interior, Treasury), SMR developers and manufacturers, utilities, and communities that may host projects.
• What changes: Higher size caps for SMRs in federal law; updated NRC/DOE guidance; funding cannot be withheld just due to single‑unit size between 50–500 MW; microreactor defined as under 50 MW .
• When: Annual reports from the working group are due by December 1 each year through 2030.