A&M announces groundbreaking nuclear power partnership
BRYAN, Texas (FOX 44) — The Texas A&M University System revealed a historic partnership on Tuesday that university leaders say will reshape the future of energy in the state.
Chancellor John Sharp introduced the initiative at a press conference, calling it 'Ground Zero for the nuclear renaissance' and a key step in bringing nuclear power to Texas.
The partnership will focus on deploying small modular reactors and molten salt reactors, technologies designed to address some of the state's most pressing challenges.
The dais consisted of (from left to right): The Texas A&M University System Chancellor Hon. John Sharp, State Representative Greg Bonnen, M.D., State Representative Cody Harris, Reed Clay, President of Texas Nuclear Alliance, Mike Laufer, CEO of Kairos Power, Douglas Robinson, Founder and CEO of Natura Resources, Smith Irish, CEO of Terrestrial Energy, and Matt Loszak, Co-founder and CEO Aolo Atomics.
Doug Robinson, Founder and CEO of Natura Resources, emphasized that these cutting-edge nuclear solutions could help meet Texas's growing power and water needs.
'What the public can expect is to start seeing how small modular reactors and molten salt reactors, which is what we're deploying, that can help meet our state's needs of power and water,' Robinson said.
Chancellor Sharp, citing Texas A&M's position as home to the world's largest nuclear engineering department, stressed the university's critical role in training future generations of engineers and technicians to operate and maintain this new technology.
'It's our kids and our professors that are going to be trainers and trainees in making sure that the infrastructure is there to operate these things once they start getting built,' Sharp said.
Local State Representative Cody Harris also spoke at the event, highlighting the need for Texas lawmakers to remain open to new energy solutions to support the state's booming population. 'We're going to make sure that Texas continues to be the economic powerhouse that it is in the United States, where the largest economy in the world,' Harris said. 'we've got 1300 people that are moving here. They're not bringing power and they're not bringing water. And so as legislators, we need to be forward-thinking enough and innovative enough to recognize new opportunities that are out there.'
Attendees were enthusiastic about the future of energy in Texas. Brad Brown, with the Vice Chancellor's Office, praised the university's vision of technological growth, noting that nuclear energy would be essential for powering the next wave of innovation.
'I've seen the vision of the chancellor as it's progressed from a sort of sleepy research campus to really a high tech looking around for a lot of technology,' Brown said. 'And nuclear is really the next thing because it's the driving force. I mean, the electricity and the power requirements are going to really support a lot of the other work that we're doing out here.'
Panelists at the press conference were unified in their belief that Texas's leadership in nuclear energy would play a crucial role in shaping the future of energy not only in the U.S., but around the world.
The Texas A&M University System's partnership marks a pivotal moment in the state's energy landscape, positioning it at the forefront of the next energy revolution.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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