By A.J. Kaufman, Managing Editor
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced in December that the Tennessee Valley Authority’s application was selected for a $400 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to advance the development of a small modular reactor at the Clinch River Site in Oak Ridge.
“Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone for America’s energy dominance and underscores Tennessee’s position as a leader in clean, reliable nuclear energy to power the future,” Lee explained in a press release. “I’m grateful for the Trump Administration’s historic investment to strengthen our power grid with the nation’s first small modular reactor and thank the Tennessee Valley Authority for their continued partnership and commitment to innovation.”
East Tennessee’s Clinch River Site is one of the only federally approved, undeveloped nuclear sites in the country.
“There is no denying the reality that America needs more power. The only way that we will meet our future energy demands is through a robust ‘all-of-the-above’ energy policy that puts nuclear power at the forefront,” U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, whose district encompasses Oak Ridge, said. “TVA and East Tennessee are primed to spearhead the deployment of next-generation SMRs that will fundamentally change America’s energy future.”
Two years earlier, Lee created the Nuclear Energy Fund and invested $70 million to create a leading nuclear ecosystem in East Tennessee. Tennessee has since recruited top nuclear energy companies, bringing $7.3 billion in investment and nearly 2,000 jobs to the Volunteer State.
“We are in an energy crisis today. If you roll this forward, demand from data centers and AI processing will only make the crisis more intense,” Will Clear, managing partner with Virginia Energy Strategies, told the Business Journal. “It is a national security issue, as other countries have surpassed the U.S. in production of energy. Nuclear is the only technology that can level that playing field in a big way, but it will take time. For now, we need to be focused on bringing on as much new generation that is feasible, including solar and natural gas, plus innovative new technologies like geothermal and advanced energy storage. “
Lee, Commissioner Stuart McWhorter and Centrus Energy President Amir Vexler announced Jan. 23 that Centrus plans a major expansion in East Tennessee, transitioning its Oak Ridge facility to a high-rate manufacturing plant. Centrus will create 430 new jobs and invest over $560 million in coming years to support the growth in workforce and investment in production of thousands of advanced centrifuges.
