Tennessee Valley Authority
Nuclear Energy
TVA’s nuclear plants contribute about 6,600 megawatts of electricity to the power grid, making the Nuclear Power Group an integral part of the seven-state power system.
About 30 percent of TVA’s power supply comes from its three nuclear plants: Browns Ferry, near Athens, Ala.; Sequoyah, in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., and Watts Bar, near Spring City, Tenn. Those plants alone make enough electricity to power more than three million homes in the Tennessee Valley.
As nuclear performance improves across the industry, TVA Nuclear’s challenge is to continue its mission to ensure safe plant operations and achieve its vision of being the best multi-site nuclear power operator in the world.
TVA’s Nuclear Sites
Read information about the TVA Nuclear corporate organization and each nuclear plant's history, workforce and management team.
Nuclear Video
View a video that documents the history of nuclear power at TVA and takes you on a virtual tour of three plants.
Watts Bar Unit 2 Construction Project
On April 26, 2012, the TVA board of directors approved the continued completion of Unit 2 at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant near Spring City, Tenn., in accordance with revised cost and schedule estimates.
Find out more about the project.
Bellefonte Nuclear Project
On August 18, 2011, the TVA board of directors approved the completion of Bellefonte Nuclear Plant Unit 1 in Hollywood, Alabama.
Find out more about the project.
Emergency Preparedness
TVA Nuclear’s operating standards and its highly trained workforce make it unlikely that an accidental release of radiation would occur. Nevertheless, emergency preparedness is an integral part of TVA’s nuclear power program.
As part of that preparedness, TVA has in place a Prompt Notification System to provide information to the public in the event of an emergency. The following outline specific emergency measures for each TVA nuclear power plant.
Browns Ferry
Emergency sirens are tested on the second Monday of each month.
Sequoyah
Emergency sirens are tested on the first Wednesday of each month.
Watts Bar
Emergency sirens are tested on the first Wednesday of each month.
More emergency information
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission offers information on national emergency response measures and public safety issues.
Security
U.S. nuclear power plants, including TVA facilities, were safe and secure prior to Sept. 11, 2001, and they are even more so today, serving as a model for industrial security in America.
TVA is a member of the NuStart consortium, which is composed of eight other utility companies, plus General Electric Company and Westinghouse Electric Company. The consortium was formed to investigate the design, certification and licensing of advanced nuclear power reactors in connection with the U.S. Department of Energy's Nuclear Power 2010 program.
