Tennessee seeks to advance America’s nuclear capabilities after submitting an application to host a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus.
The Volunteer State submitted its proposal last week to have its Oak Ridge nuclear site become part of the federal-state partnership.
The Department of Energy (DOE) is selecting campuses across America to help the country develop its full nuclear fuel cycle and enhance its advanced nuclear energy.
These sites will help with a variety of nuclear-related activities, such as fuel fabrication, enrichment, reprocessing used nuclear fuel, and waste disposition, according to the DOE.
On top of this, the sites could help with advanced reactor deployment, power generation, advanced manufacturing, and co-located data centers.
Gov. Bill Lee said the state’s innovation “has positioned” itself as “the global epicenter of nuclear energy.”
“As our state answered the call during the Manhattan Project and helped shape the course of history, Tennessee stands ready once again to lead in advancing safe, reliable energy solutions our Nation depends on,” Lee said.
“I’m grateful for DOE’s consideration of our proposal and look forward to continued partnership with the Trump administration to secure America’s energy dominance, strengthen national security, and deliver long-term economic opportunity for Tennesseans,” the governor added.
Tennessee’s proposal says the state has a complete nuclear ecosystem, highlighting its infrastructure for fuel fabrication, enrichment, reprocessing, advanced separations, and the recycling of used nuclear fuel.
The proposal also says Tennessee has led America in nuclear innovation since the establishment of Oak Ridge National Laboratory by the Manhattan Project in 1942.
For example, the federal government chose the Tennessee Valley Authority, America’s largest public energy provider, as a recipient of a $400 million award to develop the United States’ first small modular reactor, according to the proposal.
Tennessee noted it has received up to $40 billion in small modular reactor manufacturing from GE Vernova Hitachi.
In January, Tennessee saw LIS Technologies invest $1.38 billion in a nuclear facility in Oak Ridge that will create an estimated 203 jobs. LIS Technologies is attempting to build the world’s first U.S.-origin commercial laser uranium enrichment plant.
The Volunteer State also had another nuclear-related company, Centrus, announce a $560 million expansion plan for its Oak Ridge facility to convert it into a high-rate manufacturing plant. The expansion plan will create around 430 new jobs. Centrus operates a uranium enrichment centrifuge manufacturing facility.
Tennessee’s nuclear industry is estimated to employ over 40,000 people.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at zschmidt1717@gmail.com.
