The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a construction permit Tuesday for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor in Tennessee – the first permit issued in the U.S. for the construction of the technology developed by GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH).

The federal agency issued the permit to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for the BWRX-300 small modular reactor proposed at its Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. According to a GVH news release, the permit represents a “significant milestone for TVA, GVH and the U.S. nuclear industry as the country advances toward a new generation of nuclear power deployment.”

“This is a milestone for TVA and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, and an important moment for new nuclear in the United States,” Eric Gray, CEO of GE Vernova’s Power Segment, wrote in the release. “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.”

For years, GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, which operates a facility at 3901 Castle Hayne Road in Wilmington, has been working to deploy its BWRX-300 design. Although based on legacy boiling water reactor models, the design uses fewer materials than older reactors and aims to be more cost- and energy-efficient.

TVA submitted its construction permit application for Clinch River in April 2025, according to the release. The NRC’s decision followed extensive review of the TVA’s construction permit application and builds on engagement between TVA, the NRC and GVH.

The new permit adds to the BWRX-300’s regulatory progress across North America. In April 2025, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) issued Ontario Power Generation (OPG) a License to Construct the first BWRX-300 at its Darlington New Nuclear Project site, according to the release. Construction is currently underway, with completion expected by the end of the decade.

In March, OPG submitted its License to Operate application for the first BWRX-300 unit, and in September, Blue Energy submitted the first part of its construction permit application to the NRC for a BWRX-300 planned for its gas-plus-nuclear project in Texas.

“Fleet deployment is essential to scaling nuclear energy in the United States,” Jason Cooper, CEO of GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, wrote in the release. “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.”