Oak Ridge Today

Planning Commission to consider rezoning for nuclear fuel fabrication

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The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday, July 21, 2022, will consider rezoning 110 acres at Horizon Center for a nuclear fuel fabrication company. (Image by City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday will consider rezoning 110 acres at Horizon Center for a nuclear fuel fabrication company.

The property (Lot 6a) has been purchased from the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board by TRISO-X LLC, a nuclear fuel company that announced expansion plans in Oak Ridge in April 2022, the city staff said. The company said it hopes to bring hundreds of highly skilled, high-paying jobs to the Oak Ridge area and further “Oak Ridge’s well-earned reputation as the center of U.S. nuclear innovation and excellence.”

TVA has virtual open house for Clinch River Nuclear Site

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Clinch-River-Site-Bear-Creek-Road-Entrance-March-27-2016
The small nuclear reactors that could be built along the Clinch River could provide enough electricity to power several cities the size of Oak Ridge. The Bear Creek Road entrance to the Clinch River Site, where the reactors could be built by the Tennessee Valley Authority, is pictured above on Sunday, March 27, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Valley Authority will have a virtual open house for the Clinch River Nuclear Site in west Oak Ridge this evening (Thursday, March 10).

The open house follows the release of a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the 935-acre site in the Roane County portion of Oak Ridge, south of Heritage Center (the former K-25 site) near the Clinch River.

The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects associated with possibly having nuclear reactors at the site, a press release said.

“The proposed facility aligns with TVA’s 2050 target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions and drive to a carbon-free future,” the press release said.

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AC Democratic Party to discuss Bull Run closing

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Adam Hughes

Adam Hughes, East Tennessee coordinator of Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (SOCM), will discuss the closing of the Bull Run Steam Plant in a virtual meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 20, hosted by the Anderson County Democratic Party.

The steam plant, also known as the Tennessee Valley Authority Bull Run Fossil Plant, first opened in 1967. The coal-fired power plant is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2023, and many questions surround the plant closing concerning the long-term effects on groundwater, air, and soil quality in Anderson County, a press release said. Hughes will address these concerns at the meeting, the press release said. [Read more…]

Second day in a row of highest electricity demand since 2012

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Tennessee Valley Authority offices are pictured above in June 2021. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Valley Authority has had its two highest days of electricity demand in nine years, since 2012, on Wednesday and Thursday.

Thursday’s preliminary peak power demand was 30,340 megawatts at 6 p.m. Eastern time at a regional average temperature of 92 degree Fahrenheit, TVA said.

Wednesday and Thursday were the highest peak demands since July 26, 2012, TVA said.

The public utility said it plans for situations like this heat wave and tries to provide constant power.

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Kairos Power, TVA to collaborate on low-power demonstration reactor

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An aerial view of the K-33 site at Heritage Center, the former K-25 site, in west Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy TVA)

The Tennessee Valley Authority and Kairos Power plan to collaborate on setting up a low-power demonstration reactor at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge.

As part of this agreement, TVA said in a press release Thursday that itwill provide engineering, operations, and licensing support to help Kairos Power deploy the reactor, named Hermes.

“Teamwork is the hallmark of the nuclear industry and, through this partnership with Kairos Power, we can share TVA’s safety and innovation insights to advance nuclear technology while gaining experience with licensing for advanced reactors,” said TVA President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Lyash. “Nuclear power is the key to fueling our economy with reliable, affordable, and clean electricity, and it is critical to our national security.”

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TVA to temporarily lower Melton Hill Reservoir

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The Tennessee Valley Authority will temporarily lower Melton Hill Reservoir two to four feet to help property owners with their annual spring-cleaning activities, a press release said.

From Saturday, March 20, through Saturday, March 28, TVA will hold the reservoir between 790 and 792 feet to support dock repairs, shoreline stabilization, and litter pick up, the press release said.

TVA will return Melton Hill to its normal winter elevation of 794 feet by April 1.

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TVA conducting maintenance at Bull Run

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The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Fossil Plant is pictured above in Claxton on Monday, Aug. 27, 2018. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Valley Authority is conducting routine maintenance inside the boiler at the Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton, and the activities, which make use of the plant’s public address system, might continue for the next week or so, a spokesman said Monday.

During the maintenance, TVA is using small blasting caps to remove the buildup of slag, a byproduct at the coal-fired plant.

Residents in Anderson County have been asking about the recent sounds of sirens at Bull Run, including at night.

In a statement, TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks said TVA is using the plant’s public address system to alert and communicate with employees on site, but no sirens or other alarms are activated.

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For members: TVA could test new nuclear reactors in Oak Ridge

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TVA Clinch River Site
The Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge is pictured above. The road running from bottom to top on the right (east) side of the Clinch River connects to Bear Creek Road in southwest Oak Ridge. Highway 58 is off to the top left of the photo and the Heritage Center is to the north. (Photo courtesy TVA)

The Tennessee Valley Authority could use the potential nuclear reactor site in west Oak Ridge to test new reactors and nuclear technologies.

Oak Ridge Today has previously reported that small modular nuclear reactors could be built at the Clinch River site, although no specific design has been approved or selected. There are additional actions that would have to be completed before any reactors would be built in Oak Ridge, including selection of a design, approval by the TVA board of directors, and issuance of a construction or operating permit by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

TVA asks for public comments about proposed nuclear reactor site

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TVA Clinch River Site
The Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge is pictured above. The road running from bottom to top on the right (east) side of the Clinch River connects to Bear Creek Road in southwest Oak Ridge. Highway 58 is off to the top left of the photo and the Heritage Center is to the north. (Photo courtesy TVA)

The Tennessee Valley Authority is asking for public comment about a proposal to build one or more small or advanced nuclear reactors in west Oak Ridge.

The reactors would be on the Clinch River Nuclear Site, near the Clinch River and south of Heritage Center (the former K-25 site) in Roane County.

The reactors could be advanced or small modular nuclear reactors. They would have a maximum total electrical output of 800 megawatts. They would be smaller than traditional nuclear power plants, and they would produce less power.

Oak Ridge Today has previously reported that the reactors could provide enough electricity to power several cities the size of Oak Ridge

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Tower rebuilding complete, South Illinois re-opened overnight

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The replacement of a large high-voltage transmission tower was completed Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, and South Illinois Avenue re-opened to traffic at about midnight. (Photo courtesy Tennessee Valley Authority)

The rebuilding of a large high-voltage transmission tower in Oak Ridge was completed Sunday, and South Illinois Avenue re-opened to traffic at about midnight.

The 155-foot steel lattice tower that had to be replaced was knocked over when a pickup truck crashed into it at about 4:15 p.m. Friday. The tower, which is at Union Valley Road, carries high-voltage Tennessee Valley Authority transmission lines and city transmission and distribution lines.

The four-lane road, the main connection between Oak Ridge and Knox County, was closed for about two days after the crash while crews removed and replaced the damaged transmission tower.

TVA said the crash also caused damage to three smaller structures, and they were repaired.

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Photos: TVA transmission tower repair

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Crews replace the Tennessee Valley Authority’s high-voltage steel lattice transmission tower knocked over in a crash at Union Valley Road and South Illinois Avenue on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The City of Oak Ridge has published photos of the work to replace the high-voltage steel lattice transmission tower knocked over in a single-vehicle crash at Union Valley Road and South Illinois Avenue on Friday.

The city said the Tennessee Valley Authority and Oak Ridge Electric Department crews are working together, with help from the Oak Ridge Police Department and Public Works Department, to “maintain a safe work environment for a very complex emergency repair.

“Crews are working to have South Illinois Avenue at Union Valley Road open as soon as possible,” the city said.

On Sunday, TVA said the repair work could be complete in time to re-open South Illinois Avenue, a four-lane roadway that connects Oak Ridge to Knox County, for the Monday morning commute. That’s assuming there are no delays due to weather or drilling problems.

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South Illinois could re-open Monday

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Crews repair the damage to the Tennessee Valley Authority distribution system after a pickup truck crashed into a high-voltage steel lattice transmission tower, causing widespread power outages in Oak Ridge and the surrounding area on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Work to repair the damage to a Tennessee Valley Authority transmission tower knocked over in a crash on Friday could be complete in time to open South Illinois Avenue (State Route 62) in time for the Monday morning commute, a spokesperson said Sunday.

However, the schedule could be affected by weather and any potential drilling delays.

TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks said heavy equipment, materials, and workers, as well as safety and engineering plans, are required to replace the large high-voltage steel lattice tower that was knocked over by a pickup truck Friday afternoon. The safety and engineering were completed Friday evening, Brooks said.

“The heavy equipment, materials, and manpower needed to perform the work are either on site or en route,” he said. “We currently expect the work to be completed in time for Highway 62 to be open for the Monday morning commute. Risks to that schedule are weather and potential drilling delays due to the topography (i.e. rock).”

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