Dividend Power Score
A single, comprehensive score designed to measure the true strength of a company’s dividend.
This score combines three essential pillars of dividend quality:
Consistency – Measures how reliable the dividend has been over time, focusing on payment history, stability, and the absence of cuts or suspensions.
Payability – Assesses the company’s financial ability to sustain its dividend, taking into account cash flow, earnings coverage, balance sheet strength, and overall financial health.
Growth – Evaluates the long-term growth of both the dividend and the company’s share price, highlighting businesses that consistently increase payouts while creating shareholder value.
Higher scores identify companies that have historically delivered dependable income alongside sustained dividend growth and long-term capital appreciation.
Company Overview
NuScale Power Corporation is a U.S.-based nuclear energy technology company focused on the design and commercialization of small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power systems. The company operates within the nuclear energy, clean energy, and advanced power generation industries, with a core mission of providing scalable, carbon-free baseload electricity. NuScale’s primary product is its proprietary SMR technology, designed to deliver electricity, district heating, hydrogen production, and desalination with enhanced safety features and reduced capital intensity compared to traditional large-scale nuclear plants.
The company’s flagship offering is the NuScale Power Module, a factory-fabricated nuclear reactor with a power output of up to 77 megawatts electric per module, designed to be deployed individually or in multi-module configurations. NuScale’s strategic positioning is centered on being the first SMR developer to receive U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) design approval, which it achieved in 2020, with an updated standard design approval in 2023. Founded in 2007 as a spin-out from research conducted at Oregon State University, NuScale has evolved from a university-led research initiative into a publicly traded company listed on the NYSE under the ticker SMR following a 2022 business combination.
Business Operations
NuScale generates value primarily through technology licensing, engineering services, and long-term commercialization agreements related to deployment of its SMR plants. The company operates as a single reportable segment focused on SMR technology development and commercialization, rather than owning or operating nuclear power plants itself. Revenue to date has largely been derived from government contracts, cost-sharing agreements, and development-related services rather than commercial electricity sales.
Operations are supported by proprietary reactor designs, intellectual property, and regulatory approvals, including its NRC-certified reactor design. NuScale maintains strategic relationships with nuclear fuel suppliers, engineering firms, and construction partners, and works closely with government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Energy. The company’s key subsidiary is NuScale Power, LLC, which holds the core intellectual property and conducts substantially all operating activities.
Strategic Position & Investments
NuScale’s strategy centers on advancing commercial deployment of its SMR technology in the U.S. and internationally, while expanding use cases beyond electricity generation to include industrial applications such as hydrogen production and process heat. A major strategic milestone was its role as technology provider for the Carbon Free Power Project, a planned SMR facility in Idaho supported by municipal utilities, although the project was terminated in 2023 due to cost and subscription challenges, highlighting market and execution risks.
The company continues to invest in design optimization, supply chain development, and international regulatory engagement. NuScale has not historically pursued large-scale acquisitions; instead, it focuses on organic technology development and partnerships. Emerging areas of focus include integration of SMRs with clean hydrogen production and hybrid energy systems, positioning the company within broader energy transition and decarbonization initiatives.
Geographic Footprint
NuScale is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with primary operations in the United States. Its domestic footprint includes engineering, licensing, and program management activities, as well as collaboration with U.S. national laboratories and federal agencies. The company’s technology development and regulatory engagement are primarily U.S.-centric due to NRC oversight.
Internationally, NuScale has pursued market development activities in Europe, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia, including memoranda of understanding and early-stage cooperation agreements with utilities and government entities. While no NuScale-designed SMR plants are currently operational globally, the company maintains an international presence through feasibility studies, regulatory consultations, and strategic partnerships aimed at future deployment.
Leadership & Governance
NuScale is led by an executive team with experience in nuclear engineering, energy infrastructure, and public company governance. The leadership emphasizes a strategy grounded in regulatory credibility, safety-first design, and long-term deployment partnerships rather than rapid asset ownership. Corporate governance follows U.S. public company standards, with oversight by an independent board of directors.
Key executives include:
- John L. Hopkins – President and Chief Executive Officer
- Chris Colbert – Chief Financial Officer
- Joe Shuter – Chief Operating Officer
- Dale Atkinson – Chief Nuclear Officer
- Clay Sell – Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer