NuScale Power Advances First Small Modular Reactor Project
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 27 2026
0mins
Source: Fool
- Project Milestone: NuScale Power has officially advanced its first small modular reactor (SMR) project at a former coal plant in Romania, marking a significant step after years of planning and demonstrating the company's strategic commitment to the nuclear energy market.
- Market Opportunity: Bank of America estimates that the nuclear energy sector currently represents a $10 trillion opportunity, and if NuScale captures even 5% of that market, it could yield approximately $500 billion in sales, which is about 15,000 times its third-quarter revenue of $8.24 million, highlighting immense growth potential.
- Technological Advantage: NuScale's reactor design addresses many pain points of traditional nuclear energy, with its modular and factory-prefabricated features allowing for easier on-site assembly, making it particularly attractive to data center developers requiring continuous power for artificial intelligence, thus enhancing its market competitiveness.
- Risks and Challenges: Despite the long-term opportunities presented by nuclear energy, NuScale faces challenges related to high costs and market acceptance, and it will need to achieve large-scale deployments of hundreds of reactors to secure a significant position in the energy sector, making substantial growth unlikely in the short term.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy SMR?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on SMR
Wall Street analysts forecast SMR stock price to rise
13 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
6 Hold
2 Sell
Hold
Current: 9.760
Low
18.50
Averages
32.77
High
60.00
Current: 9.760
Low
18.50
Averages
32.77
High
60.00
About SMR
NuScale Power Corporation is a provider of proprietary advanced small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear technology. The NuScale Power Module, the Company's SMR technology, is a small pressurized water reactor that can generate approximately 77 megawatts of electricity (MWe) or 250 megawatts thermal (gross) and can be scaled to meet customer needs through an array of flexible configurations of up to 924 MWe (12 modules) of output. In addition to the sale of NPMs, it offers a diversified suite of services throughout the development and operating life of the power plant. The Company's suite of services is planned to include licensing support, testing, training, fuel supply services and program management, among others. It serves a range of customers consisting of domestic and international governments, utilities, state-owned enterprises and technology and industrial companies in need of carbon-free, reliable energy.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Surging Electricity Demand: Future electricity demand is expected to increase six-fold due to the rise of artificial intelligence and electric vehicles, presenting a significant market opportunity for NuScale Power's nuclear technology, especially as the need for baseload power grows.
- Advantages of SMRs: NuScale's small modular reactors (SMRs) are factory-built, transportable, and can be located near population centers, adhering to modern safety standards, making them ideal for AI data centers and potentially serving as a solution for utilities developing new nuclear power plants.
- Pending Sales Agreements: Although NuScale is in discussions with potential clients like a Romanian power company and the Tennessee Valley Authority, it has yet to sign any definitive sales agreements for its reactors, creating uncertainty before the company can achieve sustainable profitability.
- Investment Risks and Opportunities: NuScale Power has not yet become profitable, with a notable 30% drop in share price in 2026 highlighting investment risks; however, aggressive long-term investors may find early entry advantageous for potential substantial growth opportunities.
See More
- Surging Electricity Demand: With AI and electric vehicles projected to drive a six-fold increase in electricity demand, nuclear power emerges as a potential solution for baseload power needs, particularly through the increasingly favored small modular reactors (SMRs) under modern safety standards.
- NuScale Power's Outlook: Although NuScale Power is currently unprofitable, its factory-built small modular reactors offer competitive advantages by being transportable and suitable for installation near population centers, making them particularly attractive for AI data centers.
- Lack of Sales Agreements: NuScale Power has yet to secure any definitive sales agreements for its nuclear reactors, despite promising collaborations with a Romanian power company and the Tennessee Valley Authority, with funding still unconfirmed, adding to investment uncertainty.
- Investment Risk Advisory: The company's stock price fell by 30% in 2026, highlighting the risks associated with investing in a young startup; while the technology holds significant promise, investors should proceed with caution until sustainable profitability is achieved, making it suitable primarily for aggressive growth investors.
See More
- Renewed Market Interest: Global interest in nuclear energy is resurging, with NuScale Power's valuation plummeting from nearly $20 billion to below $4 billion, indicating a reassessment of its future potential; if the stock returns to previous highs, there is over 400% upside potential.
- Advantages of SMRs: NuScale's designs, already approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, showcase faster and cheaper construction benefits for small modular reactors (SMRs), which are crucial in meeting rising energy demands, particularly driven by the expansion of AI data centers.
- Significant Project Progress: By the end of 2026, NuScale is expected to sign a power purchasing agreement for a 6GW SMR system with a major northeastern U.S. utility, which will significantly reduce market uncertainty regarding its growth prospects and could drive stock price increases.
- Long-Term Market Potential: Bank of America estimates the global nuclear revolution could be valued at $10 trillion, and despite execution and financing risks, NuScale is positioned to capture a meaningful share of this market, potentially enhancing its current $3.5 billion market cap.
See More
- Significant Valuation Drop: NuScale Power's market cap has plummeted from nearly $20 billion last year to $3.4 billion currently, indicating a decline in market confidence regarding its future growth, although there remains over 400% upside potential if the stock returns to its historical highs.
- SMR Prospects: NuScale's initial designs have been approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and while only two SMRs are currently operational globally, the rising energy demand suggests that SMRs could be built faster and cheaper than traditional nuclear plants, with $7 trillion expected to be spent on data center infrastructure expansion in the coming years.
- Major Project Progress: NuScale's largest project is expected to secure a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a major northeastern U.S. utility operator by the end of 2026, which would provide a long-term revenue stream and significantly reduce market uncertainty regarding its growth prospects.
- Massive Market Opportunity: Bank of America estimates the global nuclear revolution could be valued at $10 trillion, and despite execution and financing risks, NuScale is well-positioned to capture a significant share of this market, potentially enhancing its current $3.5 billion market cap.
See More
- Significant Valuation Drop: NuScale Power's valuation has plummeted from nearly $20 billion last year to below $4 billion, reflecting market concerns about its growth prospects; however, if the stock returns to its previous highs, there is over 400% upside potential.
- SMR Prospects: NuScale's designs for small modular reactors (SMRs) have been approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and although only two SMRs are currently operational globally, they are seen as a faster and cheaper solution to rising energy demands, with $7 trillion expected to be spent on data center infrastructure expansion in the coming years.
- Major Project Progress: The company's largest project is expected to sign a power purchase agreement (PPA) by the end of 2026, which would secure future revenue and significantly reduce market uncertainty regarding its growth trajectory, potentially driving stock price increases.
- Huge Market Opportunity: Bank of America estimates the global nuclear revolution could be valued at $10 trillion, and despite execution and financing risks, NuScale is positioned to capture a meaningful share of this market, significantly boosting its current $3.5 billion market cap.
See More
- Significant Stock Decline: NuScale Power's stock has plummeted over 80% from its record high of $53.43 on October 15, 2025, currently trading below $10, raising concerns among investors regarding its future prospects amidst this volatility.
- Future Revenue Expectations: Despite setbacks, analysts project NuScale's revenue to rise from $31 million in 2025 to $311 million by 2028, indicating substantial growth potential once its commercial reactors come online in the 2030s, although it is expected to remain unprofitable in the interim.
- Technological Advantage: NuScale's development of small modular reactors (SMRs), which are significantly smaller than conventional nuclear reactors, allows for reduced construction time, labor, and costs, positioning the company favorably in the global nuclear energy market.
- Strategic Partnerships: NuScale is collaborating with Fluor to deploy six 77 MWe reactors in Romania's RoPower project and has agreed to deploy up to six gigawatts of SMR capacity across seven states for the Tennessee Valley Authority, although actual deployment is not expected until the early 2030s.
See More









