American Electric Power is proposing to build three to five small modular reactors at its 600-acre Joshua Falls site in Campbell County, and WDBJ7 got an exclusive tour of the property.
No commercial small modular reactors operate in the U.S. today, though federal regulators gave their first construction approval to a Tennessee facility in September. AEP says each reactor could generate between 70 and 300 megawatts, potentially enough to power as many as 300,000 homes. Shane Lies, AEP's president of nuclear development, said the site sits beneath transmission lines and beside a switchyard, which simplifies the project, and that data collected for the early site permit has shown nothing that would prevent construction.
AEP expects to file the permit application early next year, with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission taking 15 to 18 months to review it and possible approval in 2028. Each unit would bring 150 to 200 permanent jobs averaging $116,000 a year, plus 280 to 440 construction jobs, and AEP estimates about $4 million a year in tax revenue for the county. The company has asked the state to allow a temporary rate increase of about 2 percent from October 2027 to September 2028 to help fund the work.
STARNEWS.PLUS
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Source note: Star News TV · Nov 14, 2026 12:55 AM.
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