Appalachian Power plans small nuclear reactor in Campbell

Appalachian Power, an electric utility subsidiary of American Electric Power which serves more than one million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee, announced plans Thursday to bring a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) project to Campbell County.

The company, which has its headquarters in Charleston, West Virginia, has identified a potential site for the project on property it already owns in Joshua Falls near the James River and outside Lynchburg. A 765-kilovolt substation is already located at Joshua Falls and nearby roads are adequate to support moving equipment to the site, according to Appalachian Power.

“Advanced nuclear power is at the heart of Virginia’s All-American, All-of-the Above Energy Plan, a plan that prioritizes abundant, reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean power to fuel our thriving and growing economy,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin stated in an Appalachian Power news release. “I am grateful that Appalachian Power is taking this next step to support Virginia’s nuclear future.”

SMRs are designed to generate up to 300 megawatts per unit, about one-third the capacity of conventional nuclear reactors, according to the International Atomic Energy Association. As of now, only two SMRs are in operation — one in Russia and the other in China.

In 2022, Youngkin announced Virginia would build a SMR within a decade. The next year, the governor and the General Assembly created the Virginia Power Innovation Fund, which provides $4 million for research and development of innovative energy technologies.

“Appalachian Power is committed to generating clean, always-on power to meet Virginia’s future demand,” Appalachian Power President and CEO Aaron Walker stated in a release. “We are grateful to the Virginia General Assembly and Gov. Youngkin for embracing SMR technology. This announcement would not have been possible without their forward-thinking support.”

The largest SMRs can produce enough energy for 250,000 to 500,000 homes, according to George Porter, a spokesperson for Appalachian Power. The SMR in Campbell County would generate power for Appalachian Power customers in Virginia, he stated.

In October, Amazon.com and Dominion Energy Virginia entered into an agreement to explore development of small modular nuclear reactors at North Anna Power Station in Louisa County.

Appalachian Power plans to file an application with the Virginia State Corporation Commission in spring 2025. The company intends to apply for the U.S. Department of Energy’s $900 million grant program that is designed to accelerate the deployment of SMRs.

The utility serves about 550,000 customers in an 11,000 square-mile territory in central and southwestern Virginia. It will hold a community open house to discuss the project on Dec. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance.