US approves first small modular nuclear reactor construction permit

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday approved the Tennessee Valley Authority’s permit to build a small modular reactor at its planned Clinch River site near Oak Ridge. The permit is only the second issued in the United States for a commercial advanced reactor and the first for the BWRX-300, a 300-megawatt design that developers say could be built more quickly and economically than traditional nuclear plants. The approval comes as utilities and technology companies race to develop new sources of electricity to meet soaring demand, particularly from data centers supporting artificial intelligence.

The Trump administration has made expanding nuclear power a key part of its energy strategy and has cast advanced nuclear technology as part of the broader competition with China over AI and energy. “This construction permit is more than a regulatory achievement — it’s foundational for America’s nuclear future,” TVA interim President Mike Skaggs said in a statement.