The Tennessee Valley Authority took a major step toward becoming the first IBEW signatory utility to build a next-generation nuclear power plant in the U.S.

The TVA, Ontario Power Generation and Poland's Synthos Green Energy announced March 23 that they've ordered a pressure vessel for the first small modular reactor from GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.

The utilities also announced a joint plan by the U.S. and Canadian nuclear regulatory agencies to collaborate on the approval process for the SMR, with the goal of bringing reactors online in both countries by 2030.

The Clinch River site in Roane County, Tenn., holds the only Nuclear Regulatory Commission early site permit for SMRs in the nation. Up to three Canadian-made BWRX-300 light water reactors could be built at the site, according to Tenth District International Vice President Brent Hall.

"This is a big deal," Hall said. "There are people out there who don't want to believe it, but [TVA CEO Jeff] Lyash said he wants to build no less than 20 and probably closer to 30 of these by 2050, and I believe him."

The $400 million partnership will fund the construction and licensing of the BWRX units in both countries, Lyash said.

SMR is an umbrella term for a host of nuclear reactor designs, from cutting-edge designs like molten salt reactors and supercritical-water-cooled reactors to the BWRX-300, which is based on tried-and-true light water reactors that have been in use for decades.

What SMRs all have in common is that they are smaller than previous generations of reactors; have safety features that almost entirely eliminate the possibility of extreme events; and can be prefabricated offsite, shipped and commissioned in a standard process that promises significantly lower costs.

And cost has been the major impediment to nuclear expansion. All previous generations of nuclear power plants in the world have been custom built and site-specific. The result has been delays in approvals from nuclear regulators, delays in construction and cost overruns that can become astronomical.

Because they are smaller, SMRs are widely considered to be a safer bet for generation companies than conventional nuclear plants. Their size means they can be located on the site of shuttered coal and gas plants, and since they have such a small footprint, many small reactors can simply take the place of one large one.

The TVA is the largest public power utility in the U.S., serving nearly 10 million people in parts of seven Southeastern states, and is the third-largest nuclear fleet operator in the U.S. It has committed to building an additional 10,000 megawatts of solar and storage as part of its clean energy transition goals. But this won't be sufficient without an investment in nuclear.

"TVA has committed to zero net carbon emissions in 25 years while electrical demand — load — is expected to double. No matter how fast they move on renewables and storage, there is no way they reach that goal without nuclear," Hall said. "And our members are prepared to build and maintain the new nuclear fleet."

The partnership among TVA, OPG, Synthos and GE Hitachi was welcomed by Kathryn Huff, head of the Office of Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy.

"Worldwide, we need to double the amount of nuclear capacity, possibly even triple it, by 2050 to meet our net zero carbon goals," she said. "One of the things that may get in the way is the cost associated with lengthy construction timelines."

Site preparation has already begun at Clinch River, said Tenth District International Representative Curtis Sharpe, who with International Representative Charles Rains services the 14 locals with members on TVA sites. All work inside the fence of TVA properties must be done by utility members or signatory contractors, he said. Once built, just like TVA's existing nuclear fleet at Sequoyah, Watts Bar and Brown's Ferry, the Clinch River site will be run and maintained by IBEW members.

First District International Representative Mark Watson said signatory contractor E.S. Fox has the contract for site prep for OPG's first location in Darlington, Ontario, but it is unclear whether signatory contractors will get significant work on the project.

But the Darlington site is far from the only site in the country where SMRs are on the table. SaskPower in Saskatchewan and NB Power in New Brunswick both have plans in the works, and Watson is optimistic that the First District will be leading the way on SMRs.

"The agreement with OPG and TVA starts with approval by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and construction begins here first," he said. "We are pretty proud of that."