16.September
Blue Energy advances Texas gas-and-nuclear initiative into NRC construction review, achieving key regulatory milestone
- Filing of initial Construction Permit Application phase propels second U.S. BWRX-300 project toward build-out and strengthens prospects for scalable fleet deployment
WILMINGTON, N.C. (September 16, 2026) – Blue Energy has officially submitted the first segment of its Construction Permit Application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the inaugural BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) planned at the Port of Victoria, Texas, as part of its integrated gas-and-nuclear energy project.
This milestone marks continued momentum in bringing multiple BWRX-300 reactors to the U.S. energy landscape. It follows closely behind the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) submission for a BWRX-300 at Clinch River, Tennessee, where the NRC’s review is nearing a final determination.
“Blue Energy’s advancement through the NRC process underscores growing traction for the BWRX-300 in the United States,” said Jason Cooper, CEO of GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy. “This is the essence of fleet deployment: multiple projects progressing on shared technology, aligned licensing efforts, and a unified supply chain, enabling us to transfer knowledge and efficiencies across developments. With Blue Energy moving forward and TVA’s Clinch River project nearing a decision, we’re witnessing the early framework of a national BWRX-300 fleet come to life.”
The proposed Texas facility is designed to integrate GE Vernova’s 7HA.02 gas turbines with BWRX-300 SMRs, reflecting Blue Energy’s hybrid gas-and-nuclear development strategy. The company finalized its selection of the BWRX-300 earlier this year and has since collaborated with GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) to advance engineering and regulatory preparations.
“This submission is a critical move in transforming our vision of repeatable, scalable, and rapidly deployable nuclear energy into a tangible reality,” said Jake Jurewicz, CEO and co-founder of Blue Energy. “Our team has progressed from technology selection to active NRC permitting in just a few months—an achievement we’re proud to reach alongside GE Vernova. We believe that combining Blue Energy’s streamlined project execution model with the BWRX-300’s proven design can deliver a faster, more replicable path to new nuclear capacity across the U.S.”
Blue Energy is adopting a staged approach for its full permit application. The company plans to file the remaining portion in 2027, following the completion of the NRC-required one-year period of site-specific environmental and operational data collection.
GVH is providing technical documentation, design support, and engineering expertise for the BWRX-300 component of the project. The two companies formalized a project acceleration agreement in April 2026 to fast-track the deployment of BWRX-300 SMRs and GE Vernova gas turbines at the Texas location.
This latest development aligns with broader North American momentum for the BWRX-300. Ontario Power Generation is currently constructing the first-of-its-kind BWRX-300 at the Darlington New Nuclear Project in Ontario, Canada, while TVA continues advancing licensing and site development for its Clinch River installation.
Together, these initiatives are laying the groundwork for standardized licensing protocols, engineering practices, manufacturing capacity, and supply chain infrastructure essential for repeated BWRX-300 deployments across the U.S. and global markets.
About GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy
GE Vernova’s Nuclear business, operating through its global partnership with Hitachi, is a leading global supplier of nuclear fuel assemblies, technical services, and advanced reactor technologies. Its portfolio includes boiling water reactors and small modular reactors such as the BWRX-300—one of the most simplified and innovative boiling water reactor designs available. The company’s nuclear fuel division, Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), is a premier provider of boiling water reactor fuel and associated engineering solutions. GNF is a GE Vernova-led joint venture with Hitachi, Ltd., with primary operations at Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, LLC in Wilmington, N.C., and Global Nuclear Fuel-Japan Co., Ltd. in Kurihama, Japan. HITACHI is a trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. used under license. GE is a trademark of General Electric Company used under license.
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