A public hearing for the Tennessee Valley Authority's proposed small modular reactor at the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at Oak Ridge Associated Universities' Pollard Auditorium, 210 Badger Ave.
The public hearing will include a brief presentation on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's safety evaluation and supplemental environmental impact statement for the project, followed by an extended question-and-answer session.
The NRC will debut a new public hearing process Thursday. It will mark the first time the agency has used its modernized mandatory hearing framework for an advanced reactor licensing review, according to a news release.
"The redesigned hearing process gives the public earlier and more meaningful insight into the NRC's safety and environmental reviews while supporting the agency's broader effort to make licensing reviews more transparent, predictable and efficient. The hearing comes as the NRC targets construction permit decisions within 18 months as part of its modernization initiative," the release stated.
TVA's proposed BWRX-300 at the Clinch River site would generate about 300 megawatts of carbon-free electricity and is among the leading advanced reactor projects under review in the United States. The NRC expects to complete its construction permit review later this year.
"This is a better way to engage the public," said Jeremy Bowen, director of the NRC's Office of Advanced Reactors. "We're bringing people into the licensing process earlier, providing greater transparency into our safety review, and supporting timely, predictable decisions on the next generation of nuclear plants."
Mandatory hearings are a required part of the NRC's licensing process for new reactors, separate from the agency's "contested" hearing process, which allows formal legal challenges. The NRC published the opportunity to challenge the Clinch River application in July 2025.
If the NRC issues the construction permit, TVA must still submit a separate operating license application before the reactor could begin generating power. More information on new reactor licensing is available at nrc.gov.
TVA submitted its construction permit application in the spring of 2025. It aims to complete the first reactor in the 2032 fiscal year, according to the agency report. TVA has also made some progress toward the project's financing in recent months. Last year, the utility won $400 million for the project from the federal government, Knox News reported.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: NRC hosts public hearing Thursday for Oak Ridge nuclear site