Tennessee issues commercial fusion license to Type One Energy for Bull Run site

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has issued Type One Energy the first license to operate a commercial fusion machine in the state. The state license is also the first to be issued after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a proposed rule on an augmented byproduct material framework earlier this year. The NRC proposed in February that the framework be expanded "to accommodate the wide variety of anticipated fusion machine designs across the National Materials Program."

The NRC decided to regulate fusion energy systems as byproduct material facilities back in April 2023, in a move that would allow Agreement States to set their own fusion regulations. In early June, Tennessee implemented its own regulatory framework for nuclear fusion machines.

Project Infinity: The license from TDEC allows Knoxville-based Type One Energy to break ground on the first phase of its Project Infinity at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Bull Run Energy Complex, near Oak Ridge. Type One intends initially to build its Infinity One stellarator prototype at the site, followed by its 400-MW Infinity Two pilot fusion power plant. The company expects a full startup of the power plant by 2034.

The Bull Run site, to which Type One relocated its headquarters from Madison, Wis., in 2024, is also slated to function as a fusion development campus, hosting collaborative projects involving Type One, TVA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the University of Tennessee.

OAS annual meeting: The issuance of the TDEC license to Type One was announced at an August 31 event coinciding with the annual meeting, in Nashville, of the Organization of Agreement States (OAS), the scientific and professional organization of state radiation control directors. Participating in the announcement were Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, TDEC Commissioner David Salyers, and leaders from TVA and Type One.

Gov. Lee observed, "By creating a clear path for emerging technologies like fusion, we're advancing the reliable, abundant American energy we'll need for generations to come."

Commissioner Salyers noted that the license was "a significant milestone that solidifies Tennessee's reputation as the global hub for nuclear innovation," adding, "We are proud to develop this groundbreaking regulatory framework for fusion energy that will serve as a model for other states."

Type One CEO Chris Mowry elaborated on the significance of the license, saying, "For the first time, a fusion power plant-specific licensing process has been developed and then used to grant a fusion-specific license to operate a fusion machine, consistent with a national regulatory framework for fusion energy. The importance of this milestone cannot be overstated. Tennessee's licensing process is now the international benchmark for how to ensure fusion power plant 'safety by design' in a manner that can unlock the compelling economics of this transformational power generation technology. We are grateful and honored to receive this initial fusion machine license for Project Infinity."