First US nuclear reactor in two decades goes live in Tennessee
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.0210161
Chattanooga Times Free Press : On 19 October, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) officially connected the Unit 2 reactor at the Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant to the electrical grid. Watts Bar Unit 2 is the first nuclear reactor to be added to the US’s power system in 20 years. The last reactor added was the plant’s Unit 1, which opened in 1996. The $4.7 billion reactor started generating power in May but has been undergoing tests and evaluations ever since. It is the TVA’s seventh nuclear reactor. Together the TVA’s seven reactors provide nearly 40% of the regional utility’s power generation. Unit 1 and Unit 2 each provide 1150 MW. The TVA has no plans to construct more reactors, however, because regional electricity demand has leveled off. Unit 2 will serve as a replacement for older coal plants that have been closed.