Advanced nuclear plant developer Last Energy will build 30 microreactors at a site in Haskell County, Texas, a measure aimed at meeting the growing power demands of data centers across the state. The development comes as Texas faces increasing pressure to ramp up its power supplies to address an expansion of energy-intensive industries.
The Washington D.C.-based startup has secured a 200-acre site in Haskell County, located about an hour north of Abilene and 3.5 hours west of Dallas, for the microreactor project. It said it intends to develop the site to provide power to “offtakers via a mix of private wire and grid transmission.”
So far, the company already filed for a grid connection with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and is preparing to submit an early site permit (ESP) application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
A Full-Scale Delivery Model
The company’s flagship technology is a 20-MWe (80-MWth) single-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR) with a 300C continuous output. The “plug-and-play” design uses standard full-length PWR fuel enriched to 4.95% and closed-cycle air cooling. Last Energy has said it can deploy modules within a construction timeframe of six to 24 months, given that it leverages a design that promotes a standardized, mass-manufacturable approach to nuclear energy. Its small-scale reactors can be pre-fabricated in a factory and then rapidly deployed on-site, significantly reducing construction time and costs, it says.
But as the company has explained to POWER, Last Energy’s distinction compared to other advanced nuclear developers is a business model focused on a PPA-driven approach that prioritizes long-term agreements with private industrial customers, including data centers, manufacturers, and other energy-intensive businesses. By securing pre-arranged contracts before construction, Last Energy has sought to reduce financial risk, ensure predictable revenue, and unlock private financing, avoiding the prolonged uncertainties associated with traditional utility-scale nuclear projects. The company says the combination of plug-and-play microreactors and direct private wire connections or grid transmission options will boost faster deployment and scalability.
Still, as Last Energy has noted, its past business has been heavily focused in European markets, owing in part to U.S. regulatory constraints that have made executing this model domestically difficult. In December 2024, Last Energy, alongside the states of Texas and Utah, filed a lawsuit against the NRC, arguing that its overly rigid licensing framework stifles innovation and prevents the rapid deployment of small, factory-built reactors needed to meet growing U.S. power demand. Last Energy declined to comment in detail on the active litigation but noted that the next step in the process involves the NRC responding to the suit, which is expected to happen in mid-March.
A Major Undertaking in Texas
On Friday, the company noted it has secured 80 commercial agreements that will deliver 80 microreactors across Europe, 40 which will serve data centers. “Last Energy’s Texas site would increase the company’s development capacity by another 30 units, and enable the expansion of its commercial pipeline throughout the U.S,” it noted.
Texas is facing an unprecedented surge in electricity demand, largely fueled by data center expansion, artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, and industrial electrification. As of October 2024, the state hosted more than 340 data centers, consuming approximately 7.6 GW of power—about 8.8% of Texas’ total electricity demand. That figure is projected to rise dramatically, with data centers expected to drive nearly half of Texas’ load growth by 2030. The Dallas-Fort Worth region alone is projected to require an additional 43 GW of power in the coming years, according to energy policy consulting group Grid Strategies.
To address the urgent need for a stable, dispatchable, and long-term power solution, Texas policymakers and energy stakeholders are exploring advanced nuclear technology as a viable pathway to sustaining the state’s economic and industrial growth. In 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott convened the Texas Advanced Nuclear Reactor Working Group (TANRWG). A report issued in 2024 by the group suggests nuclear could offer the state a lucrative opportunity for energy security, grid reliability, and economic development, and cement the state’s global energy leadership in the face of rapidly growing power demands and the need for clean, reliable energy sources.
ERCOT’s “streamlined interconnection model, projected demand growth, and independent and deregulated market structure, coupled with Texas’ friendly regulatory environment, makes Texas an attractive investment for capital,” the report says. In addition, “Texas has leading supply chain and manufacturing capacity due in large part to local heavy industry operations from oil and gas. Pivoting existing capacity and scaling up local, specialized facilities will drive down costs, making Texas the preferred supplier for national and global [advanced reactor] projects.”
On Friday, Bret Kugelmass, Founder and CEO of Last Energy, agreed. “Nuclear power is the most effective way to meet Texas’ demand, but our solution—plug-and-play microreactors, designed for scalability and siting flexibility— is the best way to meet it quickly. Texas is a state that recognizes energy is a precondition for prosperity, and Last Energy is excited to contribute to that mission,” he said.
Last Energy told POWER that over the past two years, it has taken major steps to localize production and accelerate deployment, including the fabrication of a full-scale, nine-module prototype in June 2023, followed by the fabrication of a full-scale nuclear island prototype in March 2024. In February, the company joined the Texas Nuclear Alliance (TNA), an industry association that seeks to make “Texas the nuclear capital of the world.”
—Sonal Patel is a POWER senior editor (@sonalcpatel, @POWERmagazine).
Editor’s Note: This story is currently evolving and subject to change. We encourage you to revisit this article or check our website for the latest updates.
