Nuclear Resurgence on Display During Walsh’s Volunteer State Visit

Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management Tim Walsh speaks to 1,200 attendees at the East Tennessee Economic Council’s Nuclear Opportunities Workshop at the Knoxville Convention Center last week.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As 1,200 government and industry leaders from 35 states and four countries discussed advances in the nuclear industry and what’s needed to maintain momentum during a conference here, Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management Tim Walsh made his message clear: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) is creating opportunities for the private industry and paving the way for big things.

The scale of EM’s impact is evident in the recently announced American Energy Hubs initiative, which is transforming former Manhattan Project and Cold War sites into engines for innovation, affordable energy production, advanced manufacturing and economic growth.

Walsh brought a national perspective to the East Tennessee Economic Council’s Nuclear Opportunities Workshop at the Knoxville Convention Center last week.

From left, Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management Tim Walsh talks with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann about the nuclear industry growth and economic opportunities made possible through federal and state partnerships in Tennessee.

Oak Ridge serves as an early model of what’s possible as EM cleans land and transfers it back to the community for revitalization. Private industry is now reusing that Oak Ridge acreage as an epicenter for the United States’ ongoing nuclear renaissance that will sustain the nation’s growing energy demands.

To date, EM has transferred more than 2,500 acres of federal land in Oak Ridge. It is now home to businesses that have announced approximately $10 billion in projected capital investment and are expected to create thousands of private-sector jobs.

Among them are companies that represent the complete nuclear lifecycle.

Orano USA’s announced enrichment facility will provide a domestic capability for producing fuel for power plants, while BWXT is enriching fuels for national security missions. LIS Technologies is developing new laser enrichment technology. TRISO-X is constructing a fuel fabrication facility for next-generation reactors, and Kairos Power is constructing its first power-producing reactor to supply electricity to the Tennessee Valley Authority grid. Plans are underway for Radiant Nuclear to build a factory to manufacture microreactors there, and Oklo Inc. has announced a nuclear fuel recycling facility.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility discuss the newest technologies and capabilities involved in 3D printing and advanced manufacturing with Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management Tim Walsh, far right.

Adding to the pace and magnitude of redevelopment is the support of the governor’s office in attracting companies to the region, and the leadership of Tennessee’s congressional delegation representing the region.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann spoke at the event.

"Tennessee is leading America's nuclear renaissance because we've built an unmatched ecosystem of innovation, investment and opportunity," Lee said. “I thank the Trump administration and our federal, state and local partners as we strengthen America's energy dominance, enhance our national security and create greater opportunity for Tennesseans."

Fleischmann noted that congressional backing is breathing new life into the nuclear industry by revitalizing once-dormant land and attracting substantial industry and investment through the ambitious American Energy Hubs initiative.

“By leveraging federal investment and bipartisan support, the initiative is positioning East Tennessee as a leader in the nation’s energy future, fostering job creation, supporting local communities and driving long-term prosperity,” he said. “I’m excited that these efforts are setting the stage for historic levels of investment and development for the Volunteer State.”

Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management Tim Walsh, right, discusses Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) historic, record-breaking supercomputer, the world's first exascale system, with Jim Rogers, director of Computing and Facilities for the National Center for Computational Science at ORNL. It can perform more than a quintillion calculations per second.

Walsh emphasized how EM’s work in Oak Ridge is also supporting and protecting annual multibillion-dollar investments to crucial missions at the Y-12 National Security Complex and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

“Our cleanup is providing crucial space for important DOE missions to grow and modernize,” said Walsh. “Touring these sites gives a fresh reminder about how essential these sites are to the continued safety, security and prosperity of America.”

His trip to Oak Ridge included stops at Y-12 and ORNL to view the national security and research missions underway.

At Y-12, Walsh observed operations to maintain the nation’s nuclear arsenal, and at ORNL, he spoke with researchers pushing the boundaries of advanced manufacturing, 3D printing, isotope production and supercomputing.

“Each acre at these sites comes at a premium, and clearing away old infrastructure opens the door for billions in new investment, infrastructure and jobs supporting DOE missions,” said Walsh. “EM is ensuring these sites are modernized and at the forefront of their fields — helping keep our nation safe, secure and on the leading edge of innovation.”

-Contributor: Ben Williams