Companies are coming to Texas to develop a new generation of nuclear reactors

Natura Resources is one of just two companies with permits to build a so-called “advanced” reactor.

It will build its small, one megawatt reactor beneath a newly-completed laboratory at Abilene Christian University .

Leaders in Texas have declared intentions to court the growing nuclear sector and settle it in state.

The NRC issued a permit to build the first advanced reactor at an American university in 2024 .

Natura ’s design, like many others, uses molten salt, a corrosive, crystalline substance that melts around 750 degrees Fahrenheit and remains liquid until 2,600 degrees under regular pressure.

Many new reactor designs are also small and modular.

Critics of the plan oppose the use of public money on private projects and worry about safety.

The U.S. still lacks a permanent repository for nuclear waste following decades of unsuccessful efforts.

Texas A&M University is requesting $200 million in state appropriations to help develop the site.

So far, the NRC has only authorized advanced reactor construction for university research.