The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) this week filed an application to build the nation’s first General Electric Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy small modular reactor (SMR) at its site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, just months after U.S. Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) urged the TVA to embrace a “nuclear renaissance” so it may “lead our energy future.”
TVA announced on Tuesday that it filed its application to build the SMR at its Clinch River site with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which it said would establish “America’s energy dominance to power artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced manufacturing.”
Its announcement follows the departure of former TVA CEO Jeff Lyash, the termination of TVA board member L. Michelle Moore by President Donald Trump, and the release of an op-ed by Hagerty and Blackburn, which urged, “TVA could lead the way in our nation’s nuclear energy revival, empower us to dominate the 21st century’s global technology competition, and cement President Trump’s legacy as ‘America’s Nuclear President,’” but only under the “right leadership.”
Since the publication of the op-ed, the nuclear-friendly Don Moul has been appointed to be TVA’s President and CEO.
Moul, in a statement, called the application to build an SMR in Tennessee “a significant milestone for TVA,” as well as Tennessee and the United States, adding that the energy agency is “accelerating the development of new nuclear technology, its supply chain and delivery model to unleash American energy.”
He added, “TVA looks forward to working with the Administration to accelerate advanced nuclear technologies that are key to our nation’s energy security. We believe deploying new nuclear is essential to providing American families and businesses affordable and abundant electricity for decades to come.”
The TVA explained that SMRs are smaller, modular reactors that can be built quickly and are operated more easily than traditional nuclear reactors. They will also more readily blend into the natural environment due to their reduced size.
“The beauty of SMR technology is its simplicity. It’s just a smaller version of the nuclear technology that powers much of America today, with the benefit of being safer, more replicable, and more efficient. It’s not a science project, it’s a proven commodity,” wrote Blackburn and Hagerty in March.
TVA also recently expressed its commitment to clean coal technology after Trump signed executive orders supporting coal, calling it “critical in meeting energy demands” in Tennessee and the rest of TVA’s service area.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Watts Bar Nuclear Unit 2” by TVA.
And Thank you Senators, TVA, employees, etc. for making this project happen. Good news !
( read this article again )
Yes, advancement for the new more efficient reactors, much smaller and safer. Maybe even a stable fusion system soon.
Install a small fusion reactor as well and experience free zero point energy.
or are we still not supposed to talk about it ?
This is Good News! We need more energy and yes more Nuclear, cleaner, safer, cheaper, healthier.