X-energy's stock rose 27% on the first day of trading on the Nasdaq, opening at $30.11 and closing at $29.20, up 27% over its initial public offering of $23 per share. The company was valued at $11.5 billion. This surge in interest is attributed to the increasing popularity of the nuclear industry, which has been beset by delays and cost overruns. X-energy’s 80-megawatt reactor design is smaller than existing ones and is hoping to reduce costs by using a fleet of reactors. However, reactor costs have risen in recent decades.