Nuclear Innovation Alliance: Grantee Spotlight (2025)

Grantee spotlight: Nuclear Innovation Alliance

The Giving Green Fund plans to award a grant to the Nuclear Innovation Alliance (NIA) to support its work on nuclear policy research and education. NIA is a US-based “think-and-do tank” focused on advancing new nuclear energy.

NIA’s work falls within our philanthropic strategy of unleashing clean energy in the U.S. Please see Giving Green’s strategy report for more information, including recommended sub-strategies, theory of change, and key uncertainties.

Last updated: October 2025

What is NIA?

NIA is a think-and-do tank that supports research, development, and deployment (RD&D) of advanced nuclear technologies. Its three program areas are (1) Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Reform, (2) Federal and State Policy, and (3) Private Investment and Workforce Development. NIA was founded in 2015 as a spin-off from Clean Air Task Force.

What are we funding, and how could it help address climate change?

Nuclear power can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing carbon-emitting energy sources and complementing renewables with reliable, year-round electricity. Advanced nuclear reactors–which are designed to be cheaper to build than traditional nuclear reactors and have advanced safety features–depend on continued technological progress and strong political support.

In 2026 and 2027, NIA will focus on supporting the commercialization of first-mover advanced reactors and producing research to enable large-scale deployment. The organization will also work on shaping the implementation of the May 2025 nuclear energy Executive Orders. We think the next 12–24 months represent a critical window for U.S. nuclear energy policy, as federal agencies begin implementing the Executive Orders under tight deadlines. We think poor execution could stall progress and erode support for nuclear energy. Our impression is that NIA is already playing a key role by educating stakeholders, summarizing directives, and offering policy solutions. With its working relationships across government and industry, we think NIA is well-positioned to help ensure these executive orders are implemented effectively.

NIA’s activities will include publishing reports and memos, creating educational materials, hosting stakeholder meetings, and providing public briefings and testimony. It will also engage with federal agencies, Congress, and industry stakeholders to identify and address regulatory and resource barriers, promote policy solutions, and build bipartisan support.

We are providing unrestricted funding to NIA to support its core operations, mainly staff salaries. NIA plans to gradually expand its operations over the next two years.

Why do we think NIA will use this funding well?

NIA has informed and advocated for various nuclear energy policies that have been enacted into law, including tax credits for advanced nuclear reactors in the Inflation Reduction Act and various measures related to licensing in both the ADVANCE Act and the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act. In 2025, NIA helped preserve clean energy tax credits for nuclear energy and supported the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office through its advocacy efforts. The organization is also playing a central role in implementing the May 2025 nuclear executive orders by advising DOE on a national spent fuel recycling strategy, promoting NRC reform, and pushing for needed staffing and resources across federal agencies.

Based on conversations we have had with others in the nuclear policy ecosystem, we think that NIA has found its niche in producing highly quantitative technical analysis and developing bipartisan policy recommendations. We think NIA has the capacity to grow its operations and could become more impactful with increased resources.

This strong track record, combined with a clear and actionable plan for the coming years, gives us confidence that NIA will use this funding effectively to advance its mission.

Giving Green believes that additional climate donations are likely to be most impactful when directed to our top nonprofits. For several reasons, we may choose to recommend grants to other organizations for work that we believe is at least as impactful as grants to our top recommendations. We are highlighting this grant to offer transparency to donors to the Giving Green Fund, as well as to provide a resource for donors who are particularly interested in this impact strategy. This is a nonpartisan analysis (study or research) and is provided for educational purposes.

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