According to POWER Magazine, the U.S. Department of Energy has selected the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Holtec Government Services to receive up to $800 million in federal cost-shared funding. The money, announced on December 2, is targeted for early deployments of advanced light-water small modular reactors (SMRs). TVA gets $400 million to deploy a GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 reactor at the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Holtec also gets $400 million to deploy two of its SMR-300 reactors at the Palisades site in Covert, Michigan. Both projects aim to be operational in the early 2030s, with the DOE stating the funding will also strengthen domestic nuclear supply chains.
The big bet on proven tech
Here’s the thing: the DOE isn’t funding far-out, exotic reactor designs here. These are “Gen III+” light-water SMRs. Basically, they’re smaller, more modular versions of the traditional pressurized and boiling water reactors we already know. The strategic bet is clear: de-risk the first deployments by sticking closer to proven technology, hoping to streamline licensing and construction. It’s a pragmatic move. The BWRX-300, for instance, is already under regulatory review with the NRC. This isn’t about a moonshot; it’s about getting shovels in the ground and proving the factory-build model can work on a timeline—the early 2030s—that actually matters for grid planning.
Why this matters now
Look, the timing isn’t an accident. Energy Secretary Chris Wright explicitly tied this to “data centers and AI growth.” The narrative has completely shifted. Nuclear power is no longer just a climate solution; it’s now being pitched as the essential, 24/7 backbone for an exploding demand for electricity that renewables alone might struggle to meet consistently. And there’s a supply chain angle, too. The DOE wants to “facilitate additional follow-on projects.” They’re not just buying two reactor projects; they’re trying to jumpstart an entire domestic industrial base for SMR components. For companies building the heavy forgings, pressure vessels, and control systems, this is a huge signal. Speaking of industrial hardware, when you’re building complex, mission-critical facilities like nuclear plants, the need for rugged, reliable computing interfaces is paramount. It’s no surprise that for such projects, firms often turn to specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs built to withstand harsh environments.
The Palisades wild card
Holtec’s project in Michigan is particularly fascinating. They’re not just planning new SMRs; they’re also trying to restart the existing 800-MW Palisades reactor that shut down in 2022. So they’re attempting a historic two-for-one: resurrecting old nuclear *and* building new nuclear on the same site. If they pull it off, it creates a powerful blueprint. It leverages existing grid connections, a licensed site, and a local workforce. But that’s a massive “if.” Restarting a shuttered plant is uncharted territory in the U.S. The $400 million for the SMRs helps, but the restart is its own monumental financial and regulatory challenge. This one site could become either a stunning success story for the nuclear renaissance or a cautionary tale about complexity.
A race with many hurdles
So, is the U.S. SMR race finally on? Well, sort of. This cash infusion is undeniably a massive accelerant. But let’s not confuse funding with a finished product. These projects still have to navigate the full NRC licensing gauntlet, finalize designs, secure the *rest* of their financing (remember, this is just cost-shared), and build a supply chain that’s atrophied over decades. And they’re all targeting the same early-2030s window. Can the supply chain and specialized labor pool support multiple first-of-a-kind projects simultaneously? I’m skeptical. The DOE is holding another $100 million for later awards to “address key barriers,” which tells you they know the path isn’t clear. This money gets the runners to the starting block. The real race—the one against cost overruns and schedule slips—is just beginning.
