Knoxville, Tenn. – – September 29, 2026 -- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a construction permit for Clinch River Unit 1, making the Tennessee Valley Authority the first U.S. utility cleared to build a GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR). The permit, granted for TVA's Clinch River Nuclear Site near Oak Ridge, Tenn., marks only the second advanced reactor construction permit ever issued in the country.