TVA awarded first grant to develop small nuclear reactors in east Tennessee

The Tennessee Valley Authority's application has been selected for a $400 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate the deployment of the nation's first Small Modular Reactor at TVA's Clinch River nuclear site in east Tennessee.

The DOE grant, filed in April, is targeting commercial operation by the early 2030s.

TVA is the first utility in the U.S. to have a construction permit application for a BWRX-300 SMR accepted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The Clinch River project will serve as a national model for how to deploy SMRs safely, and help train a new generation of nuclear professionals in a field that has been stagnant for decades.

The DOE grant was established by Congress in 2024. It's designed to strengthen America's domestic nuclear industry and catalyze the deployment of compact and efficient SMRs that can be built faster and integrated more easily into existing energy systems. 

TVA and DOE will now enter further discussion around project milestones and co-applicant awards.


(Photo: artists' concept of proposed SMR by General Electric-Hitachi)