The Fourth of July this summer marks not only the 250th anniversary of the United States, but also the deadline for 10 nuclear companies vying to develop small and more advanced reactors to reach what the industry calls “criticality.”

Criticality — more on that below — is a key step in the development of any nuclear reactor, and is being used by the Trump administration as a milestone for the development of more advanced nuclear energy technologies that could change the energy sector.

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