Newly appointed United States Secretary of Energy Chris Wright made a visit to Oak Ridge, Tennessee Friday with the Tennessee Valley Authority to learn more about their nuclear energy efforts.
Secretary Wright has highlighted the Department of Energy’s hopes to modernize the nation’s nuclear weapons systems, stoke American innovation and launch what he calls an American nuclear renaissance.
U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann joined him at the site of the TVA Clinch River Small Modular Reactor project to get an update on the project and the efforts of the TVA. Senator Hagerty says the nuclear renaissance is going to come right out of Tennessee.
Representative Fleischmann says thanks to the TVA and numerous partners, east Tennessee will lead the country in American energy.
TVA officials say they are building an America-made energy future and new nuclear technologies offer advanced, passive safety systems for improved safety and security.