The American Nuclear Society calls Tennessee the ‘Epicenter’ for nuclear activity
The ANS team released a list of the top ten states contributing to the U.S. nuclear economy, and Tennessee tops the list.
In a lighthearted report of the top ten states making strides in nuclear innovation, it’s no coincidence that Tennessee (or, specifically, East Tennessee) efforts have received recognition across the nation.
The writers joked – it was no easy list to compile.
“How hard could it be to channel Buzzfeed and boil down decades of policy, technology development, and economic shifts into a listicle?”
Even still, Tennessee legitimately made the list. The qualifier?
“[Tennessee] is proof of what can be done when federal and state policymakers and the region’s economic council, the local nuclear utility, a national lab, and a network of schools come together to support the nuclear community through federal and state funding, partnerships with private nuclear companies, and world-class workforce development,” the article stated.
Tennessee currently has four operating reactors through the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), plans for three small modular reactors, one potential fusion reactor, a planned microreactor factory, and more.
TVA also has agreements with:
- Clinch River—TVA filed for an SMR construction permit in May 2025 to build a GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 at the Clinch River site.
- Kairos, TVA, and Google SMR—TVA is partnering with Google on a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Kairos to supply 50 MW to Google data centers in Montgomery County. Hermes 2 is a 50-MWe fluoride salt–cooled reactor that Kairos expects to operate beginning in 2030.
- Type One Energy—Plans are in place for a 350-MWe fusion technology plant at the former Bull Run fossil plant in Oak Ridge.
- Entra1 and NuScale SMR—TVA and Entra1 Energy announced a plan to collaborate on deploying 12 NuScale Power Modules (77 MWe) at six different plants, totaling up to 5.5 GW of new capacity, at locations across TVA’s seven-state service region.
What other states made the top 10?
- Texas
- Idaho
- Virginia
- Washington
- North Carolina
- Illinois
- South Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Michigan
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