The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Holtec Government Services to receive up to $800 million in cost-shared federal funding to accelerate early deployments of advanced light-water small modular reactors (SMRs) in Tennessee and Michigan. The awards aim to bring new Gen III+ SMR capacity online in the early 2030s, while bolstering domestic reactor supply chains and advancing President Trump’s executive directives supporting a nuclear expansion strategy.
TVA will use its $400 million award to advance a GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 unit at the Clinch River Nuclear Site in Tennessee and accelerate follow-on deployments with Indiana Michigan Power and Elementl. The utility plans to work with Scot Forge, North American Forgemasters, BWX Technologies, and Aecon, alongside partners including Duke Energy, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and the Electric Power Research Institute.
Holtec will receive $400 million to deploy two SMR-300 reactors at Michigan’s Palisades Nuclear Generating Station, aiming to demonstrate a repeatable model for domestic and export orders. The company is pursuing an integrated “one-stop” approach that spans SMR technology provision, supply chain management, plant construction with Hyundai Engineering & Construction, operations, and merchant power sales to nearby utilities and end-users.
• DOE to fund TVA and Holtec with up to $800M to accelerate Gen III+ SMR deployments
• TVA advancing GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 at Clinch River, plus future units with Indiana Michigan Power and Elementl
• TVA supply chain partners include Scot Forge, North American Forgemasters, BWX Technologies, Aecon
• Holtec deploying two SMR-300s at the Palisades site with Hyundai Engineering & Construction
• Holtec pursuing vertically integrated model covering technology, construction, operations, and power sales
• DOE launched a $900M SMR deployment solicitation in March 2025; remaining $100M award expected later this year
“President Trump has made clear that America is going to build more energy, not less, and nuclear is central to that mission,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “Advanced light-water SMRs will give our nation the reliable, round-the-clock power we need to fuel the President’s manufacturing boom, support data centers and AI growth, and reinforce a stronger, more secure electric grid.”
🌐 Analysis
DOE’s two-track selection highlights a strategic split between a utility-led deployment model (TVA with GE Vernova’s BWRX-300) and Holtec’s vertically integrated approach at Palisades. Both reflect growing urgency to add firm, carbon-free power capacity as data center and AI-driven load growth accelerates nationwide. The awards also position U.S. reactor vendors to compete globally as other countries advance SMR programs, including the U.K. (Rolls-Royce), Canada (BWRX-300 programs at OPG and SaskPower), and South Korea (SMART and other designs).
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Holtec Government Services to receive up to $800 million in cost-shared federal funding to accelerate early deployments of advanced light-water small modular reactors (SMRs) in Tennessee and Michigan. The awards aim to bring new Gen III+ SMR capacity online in the early 2030s, while bolstering domestic reactor supply chains and advancing President Trump’s executive directives supporting a nuclear expansion strategy.
TVA will use its $400 million award to advance a GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 unit at the Clinch River Nuclear Site in Tennessee and accelerate follow-on deployments with Indiana Michigan Power and Elementl. The utility plans to work with Scot Forge, North American Forgemasters, BWX Technologies, and Aecon, alongside partners including Duke Energy, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and the Electric Power Research Institute.
Holtec will receive $400 million to deploy two SMR-300 reactors at Michigan’s Palisades Nuclear Generating Station, aiming to demonstrate a repeatable model for domestic and export orders. The company is pursuing an integrated “one-stop” approach that spans SMR technology provision, supply chain management, plant construction with Hyundai Engineering & Construction, operations, and merchant power sales to nearby utilities and end-users.
• DOE to fund TVA and Holtec with up to $800M to accelerate Gen III+ SMR deployments
• TVA advancing GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 at Clinch River, plus future units with Indiana Michigan Power and Elementl
• TVA supply chain partners include Scot Forge, North American Forgemasters, BWX Technologies, Aecon
• Holtec deploying two SMR-300s at the Palisades site with Hyundai Engineering & Construction
• Holtec pursuing vertically integrated model covering technology, construction, operations, and power sales
• DOE launched a $900M SMR deployment solicitation in March 2025; remaining $100M award expected later this year
“President Trump has made clear that America is going to build more energy, not less, and nuclear is central to that mission,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “Advanced light-water SMRs will give our nation the reliable, round-the-clock power we need to fuel the President’s manufacturing boom, support data centers and AI growth, and reinforce a stronger, more secure electric grid.”
🌐 Analysis
DOE’s two-track selection highlights a strategic split between a utility-led deployment model (TVA with GE Vernova’s BWRX-300) and Holtec’s vertically integrated approach at Palisades. Both reflect growing urgency to add firm, carbon-free power capacity as data center and AI-driven load growth accelerates nationwide. The awards also position U.S. reactor vendors to compete globally as other countries advance SMR programs, including the U.K. (Rolls-Royce), Canada (BWRX-300 programs at OPG and SaskPower), and South Korea (SMART and other designs).
