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Released December 04, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Written by Eric Funderburk for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land Texas)
The DOE's promise of up to $400 million to TVA is intended, however, to speed the installation of an SMR at one of those Tennessee sites. TVA's Clinch River Nuclear Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, reaches back decades in the U.S. nuclear power sector. The site was the initial home of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project, where the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and the precursor to the DOE led the drive to develop the first commercial-scale breeder reactor in the U.S. A breeder reactor generates more fissile material (capable of nuclear fusion) than it consumes and is able to be fueled by more common isotopes of uranium and thorium than the rare uranium-235 used by most conventional reactors. Authorized in 1970, Congress terminated funding for the project in 1983. The DOE operates the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the nation's premier nuclear research facility, in Oak Ridge, and throughout the years, TVA has formed various partnerships and alliances with the federal government and area universities to develop nuclear power technologies.
Before SMRs became a well-known acronym in the nuclear sector, TVA began considering the construction of one of the small reactors at the Clinch River site in 2022. For some time, TVA has focused on a specific SMR model, GE Vernova Hitachi's (Wilmington, North Carolina) BWRX-300, a 300-megawatt (MW) SMR.
Now, the deployment of a BWRX-300 in the U.S. is one step closer with a promised $400 million from the government for TVA's development of one of the SMRs at Clinch River, with an eye on other deployments in the future. The DOE said it expects the SMRs it is supporting with its funding to be developed by the early 2030s.
Industrial Info's existing project report on the Clinch River SMR project, updated in September, shows construction beginning in earnest in 2028 and being concluded in 2033. However, the latest funding from the DOE could hasten construction, something the White House would like to see. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
However, soon after the purchase, Holtec began reconsidering its aims with the Palisades plant as growing power demand as well as increasing policies targeting emissions-free power generation continued growing. In 2024, the company applied with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to restart the 805-MW plant, which began operating at full power in 1973. In August, Holtec notified the NRC that Palisades was once again ready to generate power, and the plant received its first shipment of fuel in October.
In addition to funding from Michigan to support the restart, Holtec secured an up-to $1.52 billion loan guarantee from the DOE to support the project. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project. And now a further $400 million from the DOE opens the way for even more nuclear generation from the plant in the form of two SMRs.
Holtec has developed its own SMR technologies, initially developing the 160-MW SMR-160 with input from GE Hitachi before further refining the technology, including using forced coolant flow rather than gravity-driven, to develop the 300-MW SMR-300.
It's two of the SMR-300 models that Holtec aims to add to Palisades, boosting the plant's nuclear power generating capacity by 600 MW and pushing the facility's overall generation to around 1,400 MW. While the timeline is tight, Holtec hopes to deploy the Palisades SMRs by 2030.
Those could be the first of several more deployments of Holtec's SMR-300 units. In March this year, the company secured DOE approval to transfer the technology to Indian companies, opening the door to a lucrative location with India's national goal to grow nuclear capacity to at least 100,000 MW by 2047. India currently has about 8,000 MW of operational reactors and another 4,700 MW under construction, according to the World Nuclear Association. Holtec also is working with an Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates-based conglomerate to help deploy its SMRs in other locations such as Asia and the Middle East.
With SMR technology at an early stage, the DOE's funding paves the way for the first SMR deployments in the U.S. and may go some in facilitating GE Vernova Hitachi's and Holtec's aim to cater to international markets.
Key Takeaways
About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Summary
The U.S. Department of Energy has pledged up to $800 million in combined funding for Tennessee Valley Authority and Holtec International to develop small modular reactors in the U.S.DOE Funding Benefits SMRs
Furthering the White House's encouragement to increase nuclear power generation in the U.S., the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said it will provide up to $800 million in funding to Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (Knoxville, Tennessee) and Holtec International (Jupiter, Florida) to construct small modular reactors (SMRs) in Tennessee and Michigan.Tennessee Valley Authority's SMR Push
While SMR technology is in its nascent stages, with none of the small reactors yet deployed in any G7 country, the U.S.-owned utility TVA is embracing the potential of SMRs and considering the installation of these smaller nuclear units at several sites in the southeastern U.S. Industrial Info is tracking 13 potential TVA SMR projects at various sites in Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky, although all of these remain a number of years from a solid commissioning date.The DOE's promise of up to $400 million to TVA is intended, however, to speed the installation of an SMR at one of those Tennessee sites. TVA's Clinch River Nuclear Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, reaches back decades in the U.S. nuclear power sector. The site was the initial home of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project, where the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and the precursor to the DOE led the drive to develop the first commercial-scale breeder reactor in the U.S. A breeder reactor generates more fissile material (capable of nuclear fusion) than it consumes and is able to be fueled by more common isotopes of uranium and thorium than the rare uranium-235 used by most conventional reactors. Authorized in 1970, Congress terminated funding for the project in 1983. The DOE operates the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the nation's premier nuclear research facility, in Oak Ridge, and throughout the years, TVA has formed various partnerships and alliances with the federal government and area universities to develop nuclear power technologies.
Before SMRs became a well-known acronym in the nuclear sector, TVA began considering the construction of one of the small reactors at the Clinch River site in 2022. For some time, TVA has focused on a specific SMR model, GE Vernova Hitachi's (Wilmington, North Carolina) BWRX-300, a 300-megawatt (MW) SMR.
The BWRX-300
TVA was the first utility to submit a construction permit in the U.S. for the BWRX-300, when the utility officially filed a permit this summer. However, the Clinch River site won't be the first North American site to use the technology. That honor goes to Canada, where construction of one of the units is at a very early stage at the country's Darlington nuclear facility in Ontario. The Darlington unit is expected to begin operating in 2030 and could be followed by construction of up to three more SMRs in subsequent years. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports.Now, the deployment of a BWRX-300 in the U.S. is one step closer with a promised $400 million from the government for TVA's development of one of the SMRs at Clinch River, with an eye on other deployments in the future. The DOE said it expects the SMRs it is supporting with its funding to be developed by the early 2030s.
Industrial Info's existing project report on the Clinch River SMR project, updated in September, shows construction beginning in earnest in 2028 and being concluded in 2033. However, the latest funding from the DOE could hasten construction, something the White House would like to see. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
Holtec
Over the past few years, private company Holtec has made headlines as it became the first company to push the restart of a retired nuclear power plant in the U.S. The Palisades nuclear plant in Covert, Michigan, was shut down for economic reasons in 2022, and Holtec acquired the facility from Entergy Corporation (New Orleans, Louisiana) in order to lead its decommissioning.However, soon after the purchase, Holtec began reconsidering its aims with the Palisades plant as growing power demand as well as increasing policies targeting emissions-free power generation continued growing. In 2024, the company applied with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to restart the 805-MW plant, which began operating at full power in 1973. In August, Holtec notified the NRC that Palisades was once again ready to generate power, and the plant received its first shipment of fuel in October.
In addition to funding from Michigan to support the restart, Holtec secured an up-to $1.52 billion loan guarantee from the DOE to support the project. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project. And now a further $400 million from the DOE opens the way for even more nuclear generation from the plant in the form of two SMRs.
Holtec has developed its own SMR technologies, initially developing the 160-MW SMR-160 with input from GE Hitachi before further refining the technology, including using forced coolant flow rather than gravity-driven, to develop the 300-MW SMR-300.
It's two of the SMR-300 models that Holtec aims to add to Palisades, boosting the plant's nuclear power generating capacity by 600 MW and pushing the facility's overall generation to around 1,400 MW. While the timeline is tight, Holtec hopes to deploy the Palisades SMRs by 2030.
Those could be the first of several more deployments of Holtec's SMR-300 units. In March this year, the company secured DOE approval to transfer the technology to Indian companies, opening the door to a lucrative location with India's national goal to grow nuclear capacity to at least 100,000 MW by 2047. India currently has about 8,000 MW of operational reactors and another 4,700 MW under construction, according to the World Nuclear Association. Holtec also is working with an Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates-based conglomerate to help deploy its SMRs in other locations such as Asia and the Middle East.
With SMR technology at an early stage, the DOE's funding paves the way for the first SMR deployments in the U.S. and may go some in facilitating GE Vernova Hitachi's and Holtec's aim to cater to international markets.
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. Department of Energy has pledged a combined $800 in funding to TVA and Holtec to construct in SMRs.
- TVA is targeting initial SMR deployment at its Clinch River site in Tennessee, while Holtec is focusing on adding two SMRs on the restarting Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan.
- The DOE hopes to see the SMRs commissioned in the early 2030s.
About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
