X‑energy, Talen to explore deploying small modular reactors for PJM power market

March 19 (Reuters) - X‑energy Reactor Company and Talen Energy TLN.O have agreed to explore deploying X‑energy's small modular reactors in Pennsylvania and across the PJM power market, the companies said on Thursday.

The U.S. nuclear industry is undergoing a renaissance after years of stagnation, primarily driven by surging power demand from the massive computing infrastructure required for artificial intelligence systems.

• Under the agreement, X-energy and Talen plan early-stage project development activities, including feasibility studies, site evaluations and the creation of a project execution framework.

• X-energy's Xe‑100 small modular reactor can be used to build four‑ to twelve‑unit nuclear power plants, with each reactor coming online independently, allowing customers to add capacity incrementally and align generation with load expansion, the companies said.

• "Our small modular reactor technology is uniquely suited to meet these demand opportunities reliably and safely, with the scalability and flexibility to deploy across a range of project sites," said Dinkar Bhatia, X-energy's Chief Commercial Officer.

• X-energy is developing more than 11 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity through commercial partnerships in the U.S. and the United Kingdom.