TECHNOLOGY
NRC Issues First U.S. Construction Permit for GE Vernova Hitachi's BWRX-300 Reactor
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has granted the Tennessee Valley Authority a construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor at the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee — the first such permit issued in the United States.
Image: GE Vernova · Uploaded by IntraGoals — usage rights confirmed
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued the Tennessee Valley Authority a construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor at the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, marking the first such permit granted in the country for the reactor design.
GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH), which developed the BWRX-300, welcomed the decision as a milestone for TVA, the company and the broader U.S. nuclear industry as it works toward a new generation of reactor deployment.
"This is a milestone for TVA and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, and an important moment for new nuclear in the United States," said Eric Gray, CEO of GE Vernova's Power Segment. "TVA has shown strong leadership in advancing new nuclear, a commitment bolstered by the collaborative efforts of the NRC and Department of Energy. Together, and in alignment with federal Executive Orders aimed at accelerating advanced reactors, we are grateful for this collaboration as we work to support the deployment of the first BWRX-300 in the country."
The NRC's decision follows an extensive review of TVA's construction permit application, which the utility submitted in April 2025, and builds on the Early Site Permit TVA already held for the Clinch River property. The site sits within the Oak Ridge nuclear ecosystem, near the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. GVH said the process reflects how early regulatory engagement and a mature reactor design can create a more efficient path for advanced nuclear projects.
The approval adds to a broader wave of regulatory progress for the BWRX-300 across North America. In April 2025, Canada's Nuclear Safety Commission issued Ontario Power Generation a License to Construct the first BWRX-300 at the Darlington New Nuclear Project site, where construction is now underway. OPG submitted its License to Operate application for that unit in March 2026, and the application remains under review. Separately, in September 2026, Blue Energy submitted the first part of its own NRC construction permit application for a BWRX-300 planned as part of a gas-plus-nuclear project in Texas.
GVH says the accumulating licensing experience across these projects should benefit future BWRX-300 deployments by shortening regulatory timelines and reducing project risk.
"Fleet deployment is essential to scaling nuclear energy in the United States," said Jason Cooper, CEO of GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy. "A standard design, combined with a predictable and efficient regulatory environment, allows us to apply common technology, licensing experience, supply chain capabilities and lessons learned from one project to the next. Clinch River brings us another step closer to making that fleet model a reality."
The BWRX-300 is a 300-megawatt small modular reactor designed to reduce construction complexity through a simplified configuration that draws on decades of boiling water reactor operating experience.