X-energy, the Rockville, Maryland advanced reactor developer, posted its first set of results as a public company on June 4, 2026, and used the call to detail concrete deployment talks for its Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled small modular reactor. The picture: a US SMR pipeline that is starting to firm up around utility and data-centre demand.
Kentucky and Pennsylvania take centre stage
Management said it is exploring Xe-100 deployments with Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company in Kentucky, and with Talen Energy across Pennsylvania and the broader PJM Interconnection. The Talen relationship is especially closely watched given the utility's existing nuclear footprint at Susquehanna and its growing list of AI data-centre deals. For LG&E and KU, X-energy would offer a path to displace coal capacity that has anchored Kentucky's grid for decades.
Why the Xe-100 keeps winning customers
The Xe-100 is a 320 MWth, 80 MWe high-temperature gas-cooled reactor designed in four-pack configurations producing roughly 320 MWe at a site. Its TRISO-X fuel, manufactured at a dedicated X-energy facility, is engineered to remain intact at temperatures well above any credible accident scenario, which has helped it gain traction with risk-averse utility boards. The company says first-of-a-kind site work, tied to its Department of Energy ARDP award, is still on track for late this decade.
An SMR market that is finally moving
X-energy's update lands as the broader advanced-nuclear market shifts from press releases to procurement. Earlier this week France's Newcleo paired with Oklo on the DOE surplus plutonium programme, and NuScale continues to chase a Romanian first-of-a-kind decision through RoPower. Each milestone tightens the competitive screws, but it also expands the addressable market for utilities trying to decarbonise dispatchable power.
For X-energy, converting Kentucky and Talen interest into binding orders is the next test. The company's market cap and its narrative as a US SMR national champion depend on it.
Reporting based on coverage from X-energy's Form 8-K, World Nuclear News and Reuters.