First American Nuclear Co.
A History of Creating
Energy Solutions

A Legacy of Excellence, A Future of Leadership 

For more than five decades, the First American Nuclear Co. team has been at the forefront of nuclear energy innovation, engineering, and deployment. From our early roles in constructing reactors that power the country today to our contributions to advanced reactor design and nuclear fuel cycle technology and our leadership in commercial deployment strategies, we have played a critical role in shaping the industry. 

Through their careers, the highly experienced team at FANCO has taken place in every significant reactor project in the country, going back to the very first reactor to power a lightbulb.

We carry that legacy with us today.

Our Journey

Organized as as Columbia Basin Consulting Group (CBCG) in 1997, our firm initially specialized in environmental and nuclear legacy projects, including the cleanup of the Hanford Site, one of the most complex nuclear remediation efforts in history. However, as the global need for advanced nuclear energy solutions grew, we transitioned to focus almost entirely on next-generation reactor development and commercialization. 

We played a key role in major nuclear energy initiatives, including: 

  • Supporting TerraPower’s Traveling Wave Reactor design and contributing to reactor physics and liquid-metal cooling system development. 

  • Providing design and operational expertise for fast spectrum reactors, including the Experimental Breeder Reactor I & II (EBR-I & II), the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF), and the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR). 

  • Conducting feasibility studies for DOE programs such as the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative and the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). 

  • Developing the lead-bismuth-cooled small modular reactor (SMR) concept, which forms the foundation of FANCO’s cutting-edge reactor technology: Eagle One. 

Our founder and President, William (Bill) Stokes, has spent over 50 years leading nuclear energy projects. He has witnessed firsthand the failures of high-profile, expensive nuclear projects that overpromise and underdeliver. His approach? Use proven technology, refine it for modern needs, and deploy it at scale. 

This philosophy led to the evolution of First American Nuclear Co., where our mission is clear.

Deliver reliable, scalable, and economically viable nuclear power solutions. 

Key Projects:

FANCO’s deep expertise is built on a strong foundation of real-world nuclear projects. Over the years, we have tackled some of the most critical challenges in nuclear energy.

By leveraging our experience in these critical areas, FANCO is uniquely positioned to bring next-generation nuclear power to market quickly, safely, and affordably. 

  • FANCO has worked with Oklo on the design concepts for their data center focused reactor design.

  • Major contributions to the TerraPower Travelling Wave reactor project.

  • FANCO teamed with PNNL and became one of the original participants in DOE’s GAIN Program and received awards in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, FANCO was awarded a DOE grant to support Pre-Conceptual engineering concepts for a US based lead-bismuth cooled, fast spectrum, small modular reactor plant concept.

  • Conducted critical assessments to determine the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of restarting the FFTF for research and energy production. 

  • FANCO was a member of the EnergySolutions GNEP Team responsible for development of the Advanced Burner Reactor concept design for an integrated closed fuel cycle complex. This complex was designed for LWR Fuel reprocessing, fabrication of recycle LWR fuels, fabrication of actinide bearing fuels for waste destruction in the complex burner reactor, and recycle and manufacture of burned actinide fuels to enhance the burnup ratio of long-lived waste products. The burner reactor was designed as a fast spectrum commercial scale power plant.

  • FANCO provided concept designs for complex robotic fuel handling systems to be used in extended life, liquid-metal (sodium) cooled commercial nuclear power plant new design.

  • Designed cutting-edge heat rejection and transfer systems to improve efficiency in energy-intensive applications, including nuclear power and industrial processes. 

  • Developed facility concepts for processing and reusing nuclear fuels, aligning with FANCO’s commitment to sustainability and waste reduction. 

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