The largest public power utility in the nation is the first to publicly commit to exploring the development of an advanced reactor fleet to meet carbon reduction goals by 2050.
The Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) announcement on February 10, 2022, is a seismic shift for the advanced nuclear power industry that UCANPower was designed for. By unanimous vote, TVA approved a “New Nuclear Program” to invest in a “disciplined, systematic ‘roadmap’ for the exploration of the construction of multiple advanced nuclear reactors—starting with a GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at its Clinch River site in Tennessee in the 2032 timeframe. This broad new initiative, both in terms of various reactor designs being proposed and potential locations where such facilities may be needed in the region to support future energy needs is exactly the commercial demand signal this country needs, and for which UCANPower was formed last year to encourage additional public and private investment in the restoration of the Nation’s nuclear power industry.
UCANPower also commends Jeff Lyash, TVA CEO, for confirming that nuclear development is integral to TVA’s decarbonization ambitions, serving as the primary impetus for the new nuclear program. “Our aspiration is to reach net-zero by 2050, but turning that aspiration into execution … to drive that 80% reduction to net-zero requires honest, clear-eyed thinking and teamwork, and a strong commitment… We believe new nuclear technology will have a material impact on carbon reduction efforts across the nation,” Lyash said. “We cannot meet the energy needs of tomorrow by just making small changes in the power system today. Nor can we fail to develop any of the potential pathways to success—renewables, long-duration storage, low-carbon fuels, carbon capture, and the expansion of nuclear power generation. We must begin to work towards solutions now at a programmatic level.”
TVA, a self-funded federal corporate agency and the largest public power utility in the nation, is the first to publicly commit to exploring the development of an advanced reactor fleet. According to Lyash, they will continue to engage with other developers to explore advanced nuclear reactors. These include Kairos—with which TVA is partnering to demonstrate a low-power molten salt high-temperature reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee—as well as the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) awardees, X-energy and TerraPower, and NuScale, whose technology will be deployed at the 462-MWe Carbon-Free Power Project in Idaho. GEH, notably, is also part of a core team, along with TerraPower, that is spearheading the demonstration of a 500-MW Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor plant at PacifiCorp’s Naughton Power Plant site in Wyoming. That project is expected to be operational within the next seven years—by 2028—aligning with the ARDP schedule, as mandated by Congress.
The Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) announcement on February 10, 2022, is a seismic shift for the advanced nuclear power industry that UCANPower was designed for. By unanimous vote, TVA approved a “New Nuclear Program” to invest in a “disciplined, systematic ‘roadmap’ for the exploration of the construction of multiple advanced nuclear reactors—starting with a GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at its Clinch River site in Tennessee in the 2032 timeframe. This broad new initiative, both in terms of various reactor designs being proposed and potential locations where such facilities may be needed in the region to support future energy needs is exactly the commercial demand signal this country needs, and for which UCANPower was formed last year to encourage additional public and private investment in the restoration of the Nation’s nuclear power industry.
UCANPower also commends Jeff Lyash, TVA CEO, for confirming that nuclear development is integral to TVA’s decarbonization ambitions, serving as the primary impetus for the new nuclear program. “Our aspiration is to reach net-zero by 2050, but turning that aspiration into execution … to drive that 80% reduction to net-zero requires honest, clear-eyed thinking and teamwork, and a strong commitment… We believe new nuclear technology will have a material impact on carbon reduction efforts across the nation,” Lyash said. “We cannot meet the energy needs of tomorrow by just making small changes in the power system today. Nor can we fail to develop any of the potential pathways to success—renewables, long-duration storage, low-carbon fuels, carbon capture, and the expansion of nuclear power generation. We must begin to work towards solutions now at a programmatic level.”
TVA, a self-funded federal corporate agency and the largest public power utility in the nation, is the first to publicly commit to exploring the development of an advanced reactor fleet. According to Lyash, they will continue to engage with other developers to explore advanced nuclear reactors. These include Kairos—with which TVA is partnering to demonstrate a low-power molten salt high-temperature reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee—as well as the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) awardees, X-energy and TerraPower, and NuScale, whose technology will be deployed at the 462-MWe Carbon-Free Power Project in Idaho. GEH, notably, is also part of a core team, along with TerraPower, that is spearheading the demonstration of a 500-MW Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor plant at PacifiCorp’s Naughton Power Plant site in Wyoming. That project is expected to be operational within the next seven years—by 2028—aligning with the ARDP schedule, as mandated by Congress.
TVA will seek “to engage with experienced and similarly committed partners” to share development risk by partnering and collaborating with other utilities and entities “to bring a broad set of skills and experience resources to the program. That will also help us spread financial and technical risk. And when we’re successful, to share our collective experience for the benefit of others. We believe that this will create the best value for the investments that we’re going to make now,” he said.
UCANPower also appreciates The Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI) support for the announcement expressed by Tom Kuhn. “Deploying and demonstrating the next generation of 24/7 carbon-free technologies, including new advanced nuclear, is critically important to our industry’s efforts to deliver resilient clean energy to our customers. We applaud TVA for developing its New Nuclear Program and for its work to accelerate carbon reductions across the U.S. economy.”
