Tennessee is First State Across the Country to Release Nuclear Fusion Regulatory Framework

On June 9, 2026, the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) released a technology-neutral regulatory framework for nuclear fusion. TDEC's Division of Radiological Health promulgated Chapter 0400-20-14 of the Effective Rules and Regulations of the State of Tennessee to establish this framework for fusion machines. The state is the first in the country to release such a framework. A Type One Energy commercial site, planned as a 400 MWe fusion power plant, is expected to be one of the first licensees under the framework. This project, near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is anticipated to function as a fusion development campus with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee Valley Authority, and the University of Tennessee.

The Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation Office of Energy Programs also co-chairs the NASEO Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative, which advances next generation nuclear technologies.