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First US utility seeks permit for a small nuclear reactor

  • The Tennessee Valley Authority submitted a permit application on Tuesday to build the first small modular nuclear reactor in the United States at the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
  • The application follows TVA’s 2022 launch of a program to develop small reactors as part of a strategy to meet rising electricity demand and reduce greenhouse gas emissions across seven states it serves.
  • The utility, which operates three large nuclear plants providing 40% of its power, seeks $800 million in federal funding to speed development by about two years, with the NRC having approved the site’s suitability.
  • The planned 300-megawatt reactor could supply power for around 175,000 homes and may start operating near 2032 if the TVA board and NRC approve, as TVA CEO Don Moul noted it "is carbon free."
  • The TVA effort may initiate a trend in U.S. nuclear development, offering a path forward despite past delays and cost overruns in large reactors, while critics advocate faster investment in proven renewable energy sources.
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In the US, the administration has identified several locations for nuclear facilities and data centers, but they will have difficulty meeting the 2027 deadline.

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TechXplore broke the news in on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
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