One thing that is abundantly clear in the 2026 energy landscape is just how much technology and energy production have combined, giving companies the privilege to develop groundbreaking developments that were only imagination in the past. Developers and governments have so much confidence in what they can achieve, hence they are not hesitating to invest massive amounts of money to develop significant nuclear facilities. The latest display of this is Deep Fission, which has secured $80 million to fast-track the commercialization of subterranean nuclear reactor technology.
Why can the United States afford to invest $80 million in nuclear technology?
Unbeknownst to the general population, the energy industry requires countries to take massive amounts of risks investing in a project, which is theoretically logical but is not guaranteed to translate to practical results. Thus, nations often pick and choose which developments they can get away with investing a lot of money in. The US is the ideal candidate to invest in this project because it is the world’s largest producer of nuclear energy, generating almost 30% of the global total and possessing 94 reactors with over 97W in capacity as of 2025.
To put the United States’ dominance into perspective, reports suggest that the nation generates more nuclear electricity than the next two top countries, China and France combined. When a country has such a comfortable lead over its competitors, then it can afford to take unnecessary risks, knowing that if the development is unsuccessful, it will remain the leading nation.
Deep Fission takes an underground approach to nuclear energy production
Just as every industry experiences evolution in the way that things are produced, so does the energy industry. For instance, Deep Fission’s strategy differs from the typical ones as it features its small modular pressurized water reactor (SMR) technology at the heart of the entire initiative. In order to effectively use this particular technology, it is placed roughly one mile underground within a drilled borehole. To the hydrogen energy facilitators, this is known as subterranean placement. It functions by leveraging the Earth’s geology for passive safety, reducing the need for extensive above-ground containment structures and related expenses.
According to the company, the design upon which it is relying might reduce construction expenses by roughly 70–80 % compared with usual nuclear plants by applying techniques and supply chains drawn from the oil, gas, and geothermal industries.
A deep dive into the “gravity reactors” involved in the $80 million operation
The gravity reactors are designed to deliver an estimated 15 megawatts of electricity per unit. However, since they are scalable, they are able to scale up, reaching larger deployments to serve industrial sites, data centers, and utility grids. The decision made by Deep Fission to combine proven nuclear technology with innovative drilling techniques hastens the process from pilot testing to commercial operation.
Reviewing the progress made by Deep Fission and the challenges it might face
While many people might be unaware, Deep Fission’s underground reactor concept is one that has existed for quite a long period of time. It has gradually advanced from just a simple design to a practical demonstration. For instance, in 2025, the company was selected to participate in the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Reactor Pilot Program, a US federal initiative focused on accelerating the development of advanced nuclear technologies. This is where it established its first pilot reactor site in Parsons, Kansas.
The underground initiative has received a lot of well-earned praise, but it is not exempt from challenges. For instance, the company will have to go through the process of attaining licenses from nuclear authorities, extensive safety evaluations, and assessing the scalability of deep-borehole drilling at an industrial scale.
The United States is seemingly slightly leading the way in large-scale nuclear energy developments coming in 2026. This is surprising because the nation is already further ahead of all the other countries. It is incumbent on the rest of the world to catch up to the US’s progress.
