The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued its Final Safety Evaluation Report for the Long Mott Generating Station, indicating the plant meets safety criteria to begin construction under U.S. nuclear regulations.

The NRC also finished its environmental assessment in May, finding no significant impact, which together with the safety review completes the agency’s primary reviews of the project.

Following the reports, the regulator announced on social media that a construction permit announcement is expected soon.

Long Mott Energy, a Dow Chemical subsidiary, filed the construction permit application in March 2025 for a plant comprising four X‑energy Xe‑100 high‑temperature gas‑cooled reactors.

The reactors together will produce 800 MW thermal (320 MW electrical) to supply electricity and steam to Dow’s Seadrift operations, with any surplus power slated for export to the grid.

The project is part of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, which provides a 50/50 cost‑share covering up to $2.4 billion in development expenses.

In April 2026, X‑energy signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract with Fluor Corporation to advance the plant layout, building on a licensing effort that began with NRC engagement in 2018.

X‑energy’s chief global operating officer, Dragan Popovic, said the NRC’s safety review reflects years of disciplined work by both the company and the regulator, establishing a foundation for future Xe‑100 applications.

Although a construction permit would trigger the start of the project timeline, construction, TRISO fuel supply and first power generation remain several years away.

If built, the plant would be the first grid‑scale advanced nuclear reactor at an industrial site in the United States, replacing aging steam infrastructure and supporting Dow’s target of over 4 billion pounds of material production annually at the 4,700‑acre Seadrift complex.