Energy secretary says next‑generation nuclear milestone reached, more reactors expected

Christopher Wright, the U.S. secretary of energy, said the United States marked a milestone when a non-light-water nuclear reactor "went critical" five days earlier and described that progress as proof that a new generation of nuclear technology is coming online.

Wright said the milestone represents both advanced reactors becoming operational and restoring the country's capacity to build larger conventional reactors. He told the Atlantic Council audience the administration expects additional advanced reactors to reach similar milestones in the coming weeks and that about 10 projects are "in progress" with likely activity in the next 12 months.

Wright framed nuclear deployment as part of a broader effort to expand reliable, firm electricity capacity needed for economic growth and national competitiveness, alongside natural gas and geothermal. He said the administration is pursuing several tracks: expanding existing nuclear capacity, bringing retired plants back online, supporting small modular reactors, and backing next-generation designs.

Wright's remarks paired that technical progress with his wider ‘‘energy abundance’’ message and estimated that at least a few more criticality events would occur before the July 4 period he referenced.