NRC issues first U.S. construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor

On September 29, 2026, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the first U.S. construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor to the Tennessee Valley Authority for a site at Clinch River in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The decision marks a major milestone for GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy and TVA as the United States advances a new generation of nuclear deployment. Regulators and industry framed the outcome as the product of extensive NRC review, early regulatory engagement and federal support, positioning the permit as proof that a mature reactor design can follow a more efficient licensing pathway under current policy priorities.

The permit builds on growing North American licensing momentum: Ontario Power Generation received a Canadian construction license for a BWRX-300 in April 2025 and filed its license-to-operate application in March 2026, while a Texas developer submitted initial NRC materials for a BWRX-300 in September 2026. TVA’s Clinch River project - filed in April 2025 and located near Oak Ridge National Laboratory - relies on a 300-MW BWRX-300 design that simplifies construction by leveraging decades of boiling-water reactor experience. Industry leaders emphasize that a standard design and predictable regulation enable fleet deployment, supply chain scaling and the application of lessons learned from earlier projects.