NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) became the first utility in the U.S. to apply for a permit to build the first modular nuclear reactor.

A modular nuclear reactor is smaller in size and can be built more easily, faster, and cheaper than traditional reactors.

The TVA announced this week that it submitted the first permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to build a small, modular nuclear reactor.

"This is huge. Very exciting for the TVA, our region, and the nation," Scott Fiedler, a spokesperson for the TVA said.

The TVA hopes to build the reactor along the Clinch River in Oak Ridge.

The permit application process took around three years, according to the TVA. It comes as Gov. Bill Lee pushes to make Tennessee a hub for nuclear energy.

"Nuclear energy has a lot of benefits," Fiedler said. "Number one, uranium. It's mined here in the United States and we have plenty of it. Two, very safe. Safe technology, we know a lot about it, highly regulated, and finally, it's extremely reliable and cheap. We want abundant, low-cost power to fuel American jobs, and nuclear is the way to go."

The Tennessee Valley Authority has already applied for an $800 million federal grant to help fund the project. Fiedler told News 2 nuclear energy will be the backbone of the power grid and drive the economy.

"Electricity, unlike any other commodity, gold, oil, it's truly now the building block of the economy," Fiedler said. "It will power our prosperity and drive American jobs, not only here in Tennessee, but if we can export this technology, it will drive a cleaner world, and all of that starts here in Tennessee."

The NRC will review permit applications for two years. Then, there will be a six-month public comment period. The TVA can begin site preparations and non-nuclear construction as early as Jan. 2026.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-news/tva-pushing-to-build-nations-first-modular-nuclear-reactor/