The Tennessee Valley Authority is taking another step to boost next-generation nuclear technology, collaborating to site up to 6 GW of generation within its seven-state footprint.

TVA announced the “landmark” deal with ENTRA1 Energy on Sept. 2, calling it the largest ever of its kind. The two plan to develop new nuclear plants using the small modular reactor NuScale Power expects to deploy by 2030.

ENTRA1 holds the commercialization rights to NuScale’s products and services. It presents itself as a one-stop shop for development, financing and management of NuScale’s SMRs, with multiple options for development, management and operation.

The new agreement calls for ENTRA1 to develop and own the power plants and sell the output to TVA under future power purchase agreements. They called it an important step to promote advanced nuclear technology in the U.S.

Accelerating nuclear deployment has been a stated priority for President Donald Trump; TVA’s rate of progress on nuclear development has been a target of Republican criticism.

TVA said in a news release that it “stands at the forefront of America’s advancements in nuclear energy — and its bold partnerships and national leadership continue to power the nation’s nuclear renaissance.”

CEO Don Moul said: “TVA is leading the nation in pursuing new nuclear technologies, and no utility in the U.S. is working harder or faster than TVA.”

Trump began removing members of TVA’s board after it appointed Moul the new CEO. The president reportedly demanded that the remaining members remove Moul, but they refused. (See TVA Board Promotes Nuclear Veteran from COO to CEO and Trump Nominates Four to TVA Board of Directors.)

TVA in its news release said the ENTRA1 deal “aligns with the administration’s energy dominance agenda and focus on America’s energy security. The partners are identifying opportunities to work with other federal agencies and explore potential sites with new nuclear generation and joint gas-fired capabilities.”

Other recent nuclear updates by the nation’s largest public power supplier include:

On Aug. 18, TVA and Kairos Power announced the first-ever PPA by a U.S. utility for electricity from an advanced GEN IV reactor. (See Kairos Power, TVA Announce Nuclear PPA.)

On May 20, TVA announced it was the first U.S. utility to submit a construction permit application for GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300 SMR. (See TVA First U.S. Utility to Request SMR Construction Permit.)

And on April 23, TVA said it and a coalition of industry and state leaders had reapplied for funding under the U.S. Department of Energy’s $800 million Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor Program.

NuScale, meanwhile, is part of the crowded U.S. SMR field. It was the first and so far only company to receive Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval for its reactor module design, then obtained a second NRC approval in May on an uprated design that boosts output from 50 MW to 77 MW.

That has not translated into many announced deals, however.

A groundbreaking project planned in Idaho was canceled in November 2023 when subscriptions for the power it would produce proved too difficult to secure. (See Pioneering NuScale Small Modular Reactor Project Canceled.)

NuScale’s stock closed 7.5% higher in trading Sept. 2.