Energy and Water Appropriations Chairman Chuck Fleischmann applauded the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s approval for Kairos Power to build the Hermes 2 Demonstration Plant with two new nuclear reactors in Oak Ridge at the Heritage Center Industrial Park. As chairman of Energy and Water Appropriations, Congressman Fleischmann is the leading advocate in Congress to expand new civil nuclear energy in Tennessee and nationwide, his office said.
“I congratulate Kairos Power on their approval to build Hermes 2 at Oak Ridge’s Heritage Industrial Park," said Rep. Fleischmann. "I also congratulate the NRC for their efficient approval of the construction permits to make this milestone for new nuclear a reality. The construction of two Gen IV advanced molten salt-cooled reactors, the first to produce electricity anywhere in the United States, is a major step towards expanding clean, reliable, affordable, and abundant nuclear power nationwide and creating America’s New Nuclear Future.
“Also, importantly, the Hermes 2 reactors are being built on land in Oak Ridge that was previously contaminated during the Manhattan Project and Cold War and has been expertly and thoroughly cleaned by the Department of Energy-Environmental Management and United Cleanup Oak Ridge, an initiative I have led in my role as chairman of Energy and Water Appropriations. This land was previously unusable due to legacy Manhattan Project and Cold War-era weapons efforts back when our engineers and scientists were still learning and unlocking the best practices of nuclear manufacturing, but it is now free of contamination and the home to a new generation of civil nuclear technologies and manufacturing that will grow our economy and protect our environmental heritage.
“As the leading nuclear energy champion in Congress, I will continue to advocate for expanding nuclear energy nationwide to meet America’s energy needs and the world’s growing demand for power. Nuclear power is affordable, abundant, clean, and reliable and the best way to power our nation and the world through the rest of the 21st Century and into the 22nd. For America to re-industrialize and end the Free World’s dangerous dependence on Communist China, we need an abundance of new electricity generation that will require a nuclear foundation. Because of the work to expand new nuclear in Oak Ridge and throughout East Tennessee, America’s long-term energy independence, national security, and future prosperity will be secured for generations to come.”