Energy department hands out $800M in grants for small nuclear reactors
The U.S. Energy Department has awarded $800M in grants to TVA and Holtec to build new 300-MW small modular nuclear reactors in Tennessee and Michigan, supporting rising energy demands in the tech sector.
Two more nuclear companies have secured significant funding from the Trump administration.
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Holtec will each receive $400 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to advance the construction of small modular reactors using existing nuclear fission technology.
Under the initiative, TVA will deploy a 300-megawatt GE Vernova Hitachi reactor in Tennessee, while Holtec will develop two 300-megawatt reactors in Michigan.
Tech companies have become increasingly supportive of nuclear energy as their power demand accelerates alongside the growth of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The planned reactors fall under the Generation III+ category, representing upgraded versions of long-standing nuclear designs. By reducing these systems to a “small modular” scale, the industry aims to cut costs through standardised mass production and more streamlined construction processes.
However, progress remains limited: according to the World Nuclear Association, only two small modular reactors are currently in operation worldwide.
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