More Nuclear Reactors Coming to North Alabama
By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
March 26, 2026
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. More nuclear reactors are destined for northern Alabama according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last week announced Japan’s commitment of up to $40 billion for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors, known as SMRs, in Alabama and Tennessee as part of the second tranche of investments under last year’s U.S.-Japan trade deal, which commits the Asian country to $550 billion in direct investment.
These reactors can be deployed faster and at lower cost than traditional units.
The result could be lower utility prices for Alabamians.
Hollywood, Alabama, approximately 45 miles east of Huntsville, is expected to be the site of the reactors. Bellafonte is the site of a dormant nuclear power plant owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority and they would be built there.
According to the current information, GE Vernova-Hitachi, will handle the proposed project, and is currently building several small reactors in Canada but none have been built in the U.S. yet. Under the new U.S.-Japan trade deal, however, the company will build 10 nuclear reactors. Each reactor will produce 300 megawatts of power, or enough to power 200,000 to 300,000 homes.
“The groundbreaking commercial deployment of the advanced SMRs in the U.S. will serve as a next-generation stable power source, stabilizing electricity prices for the American people and strengthening the U.S. leadership in global technological competition,” the department said.
“The project aligns with the U.S. energy dominance agenda by expanding domestic power generation, enabling long-term national energy security. Nuclear power from SMRs would fuel industrial growth by adding firm, dispatchable capacity.”
Alabama Congressman Dale Strong said it is important to expand American energy capacity amid growing demand for affordable power.
“Alabama has a strong history of supporting nuclear energy initiatives, and our second-to-none workforce stands ready to deliver on advanced energy innovation,” Strong, R-Monrovia, said.
Similarly, U.S. Senator Katie Britt said the investment shows President Trump’s commitment to making America energy dominant.
“We need electrons on the grid, and Bellefonte is a great location to house these small modular reactors. This investment will result in more jobs and reliable power for Alabamians, which is always cause for celebration,” she said in a statement to AL.com. “Alabama is proud to support and advance the Trump Administration’s vision for American reindustrialization.”
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