Last Energy's reactor design is intentionally unoriginal, using existing commercial low-enriched uranium fuel pellets, in an attempt to make licensing and operation easier. However, with the NRC pausing the case and considering alternatives, the need for the lawsuit is coming into question, and the states that originally joined the lawsuit have since filed to drop out.
Last Energy was included in the DOE Reactor Pilot Program announced in 2025, but was not among the participants that obtained criticality by July 4th. The company's pilot design, the PWR-5, has just had its final safety analysis approved, and it is likely to achieve fission before the end of the year.
The company's board includes notable figures such as PayPal co-founder Luke Nosek and Ripple co-founder Jed McCaleb, and has secured significant funding, including a $100 million Series C last year.