Pillsbury Positioned to Lead Texas’ Nuclear Power Expansion

With more than 70 attorneys in its Houston and Austin offices, Pillsbury’s nuclear team is expected to enter “growth mode in the next six to 12 months, due to the nuclear activity in Texas,” said Jeff Merrifield, who leads the firm’s Nuclear Energy practice and previously served on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Texas’ passage of House Bill 14—establishing the Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office and a $350 million development fund—has spurred investment from multiple companies, which plan to power AI data centers with nuclear energy.

Pillsbury has played a leading role in advancing this momentum by co-founding the Texas Nuclear Alliance, which advocates for policies such as the Texas Energy Fund and HB 14 that encourage nuclear and infrastructure growth.

With active projects including microreactor testing at Abilene Christian University, Texas A&M and new reactor construction in the Texas Panhandle, Pillsbury is positioned to advise clients on licensing, regulatory compliance, environmental approvals and financing as the state builds out its nuclear capacity.

“Texas is at the forefront of next-generation nuclear deployment, and Pillsbury is proud to help shape this future,” Merrifield said.

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Named the Most Innovative Law Firm in North America in the Energy Transition (Financial Times, 2023 and 2024) and ranked among the elite by both Chambers USA and Chambers Global, Pillsbury possesses one of the world’s top nuclear energy teams—a trailblazing practice with a track record full of firsts for more than 50 years. As one of the world’s largest and most preeminent nuclear energy practices, the practice has the deepest and most recognized global nuclear energy team, possessing the specialized knowledge and historical perspective to help clients take full advantage of opportunities in this complex and critically important field.