Science
Tennessee got the permit for a small reactor.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission cleared TVA to build a 300-megawatt reactor at Clinch River, in Oak Ridge. The review took 14 months. An operating license is still required.
The Rocket News · Science Desk · Oak RidgeSeptember 30, 2026 · 3 min read
OAK RIDGE — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday approved a construction permit for the Tennessee Valley Authority to build a small modular reactor at Clinch River. It would be the country's first commercial reactor of that kind. The machine is a 300-megawatt boiling-water unit from GE Vernova Hitachi, meant for the region's rising demand for power.
The staff started the review in July 2025 and finished in 14 months, four months early. Chairman Ho K. Nieh said that was what the new commission looks like. A safety evaluation in June found the application met the rules. TVA still needs a separate operating license before it can load fuel. The Science desk files the permit. It does not file a plant that is not built.
Four months ahead of schedule is what the new NRC looks like.
Wire and further reading: nrc.gov
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