The Obama administration is talking with three private companies about plans to develop small modular reactors on federal land at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.

The Energy Department today said it had signed three separate agreements with Hyperion Power Generation Inc., SMR LLC -- a subsidiary of Holtec International -- and NuScale Power LLC that outline a process for developing and siting reactors at the Savannah River Site.

The DOE industrial complex of more than 1,000 facilities is located about 20 miles south of Aiken, S.C.

"The Obama Administration continues to believe that low-carbon nuclear energy has an important role to play in America's energy future," Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement. "We are committed to restarting the nation's nuclear industry and advancing the next generation of these technologies, helping to create new jobs and export opportunities for American workers and businesses."

The agreements outline how DOE and the companies this year will work through arrangements for using the land, leasing and permit agreements, power purchase agreements and technical assistance, said Jim Giusti, a spokesman for DOE. The agency, however, is not providing the companies with any money right now.

Giusti said the agency may sign more agreements similar to these, as the agency is in discussions with a total of seven companies that hope to build small modular reactors at the site. DOE has also identified a total of eight ideal locations for the tiny reactors on the land in South Carolina and could see construction of three to five small modular reactors within the next 10 to 15 years, he said.

All of the reactors would be licensed through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, he added.

Giusti said the agreements are separate from DOE's small modular reactor program, but the companies could apply for those funds. President Obama asked for $65 million to support development of small modular reactors in his fiscal 2013 budget request -- part of the agency's effort to secure $452 million over five years to develop a pair of designs for the miniature reactors.