New $40B nuclear reactors coming to North Alabama

A deal was announced this month between the United States and Japan for GE Vernova Hitachi to develop multiple nuclear energy projects, including small modular reactors planned for Alabama and Tennessee.

The agreement specifically involves a 1,600-acre site near Hollywood (about 45 miles east of Huntsville), which has been long-considered by TVA for nuclear development. 

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Nuclear energy project in North Alabama

The project, expected to cost up to $40 billion, could generate up to 3 gigawatts of electricity and is expected to include facilities in Tennessee as well as North Alabama.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and President Donald Trump met earlier this month and announced the joint initiative.

Here’s what we know:

• The now-dormant Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in Hollywood is expected to be a primary site for these new reactors.
• Each reactor will produce 300 megawatts of power, or enough to power 200,000 to 300,000 homes. 
• The primary goal is to provide dedicated, carbon-free baseload power for Alabama’s automotive and aerospace manufacturing hubs.
• The Alabama sites are being positioned to offset the retirement of older coal-fired units, ensuring the state remains an energy exporter. 

“The Project aligns with the U.S. energy dominance agenda by expanding domestic power generation, enabling long-term national energy security. Nuclear power from SMRs would fuel industrial growth by adding firm, dispatchable capacity.”

Statement from the U.S. Department of Commerce

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