A nuclear opportunity to power a new era of rural prosperity

For generations, rural Tennessee has helped power our state, build our economy and answer the call when our country needed us. Today, we have another opportunity in front of us, one that deserves a serious look because of what it could mean for the families and communities throughout the 12th Senatorial District. Tennessee is one of twenty-six states that answered the call, expressing interest in hosting Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses that could bring together different parts of America's nuclear fuel cycle, including advanced manufacturing, fuel production, recycling, research, storage and the long-term management of nuclear materials. We have worked hard to build a strong nuclear ecosystem in Tennessee, anchored by Oak Ridge, home to a national laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex. No conversation about nuclear energy in America should take place without Tennessee at the table. We already have one of the strongest nuclear legacies in America. Oak Ridge has been at the center of our nation's nuclear mission for more than 80 years, and TVA operates nuclear plants at Watts Bar and Sequoyah. Tennessee has the scientists, skilled workers, universities, community and technical colleges and industrial experience necessary to help lead the next chapter of American nuclear energy. But this opportunity should not only be viewed through the lens of Oak Ridge or our major research institutions. We should also be asking what it could mean for rural Tennessee. I am confident that the investment from the Department of Energy (DOE) and private industry would be transformative on a scale rarely seen in rural America. The DOE estimates the investment for a complete Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus at roughly $50 billion in capital investment, more than 22,000 permanent jobs and significant state and local tax revenue. Even a portion of an investment of that magnitude could have a generational impact on a rural Tennessee community. For the people I am privileged to represent, economic development is not an abstract concept. It can determine whether our children and grandchildren can find good-paying jobs without leaving home—whether a young person can graduate from a local high school, learn a trade at a TCAT or community college and build a career in the community where they grew up. Investments like the new Fentress County Higher Education Center help ensure our communities are prepared for opportunities like these. A Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus could create opportunities for electricians, welders, machinists, equipment operators, construction workers, engineers, technicians and many others. It could strengthen technical colleges, universities and apprenticeship programs while creating clearer pathways into these careers. Major investment could also bring funding for schools, roads, utilities, housing, workforce training and other infrastructure that benefits a community far beyond the boundaries of a single project. That does not mean Tennessee, or any Tennessee county, should say yes to something before we fully understand what is being proposed. Any community considering a role in this effort deserves straightforward answers about what would be built, what materials would be handled and transported, what safety standards would apply and who would be responsible for the site over the long term. Tennessee's experience with nuclear operations and environmental cleanup has taught us the importance of strong containment, monitoring and transparency. I am confident in state government and Trump administration leaders to provide our communities the straightforward answers to their questions. Most importantly, local communities must have a meaningful voice in the process; our communities must partner with state and federal leaders to educate those leaders about infrastructure needs and appropriate benefits. Residents and local leaders should understand both the responsibilities and opportunities that come with it. Exploring this opportunity is not the same as committing to a project. Tennessee's current understanding with DOE does not approve a site or commit a Tennessee community to host a facility. Rather, it gives our state the opportunity to learn, ask questions and determine whether and where different pieces of this national initiative could make sense. And it gives our communities an opportunity to be transparent about our challenges and creative about possible solutions. I believe we should take those opportunities seriously. Rural Tennessee has the workforce, work ethic and communities capable of supporting projects of national importance. If there is an opportunity to bring billions of dollars of investment, high-quality careers, new infrastructure and a long-term economic engine to one of our rural communities, and to do so safely and responsibly, then we owe it to the people we represent to explore it. Tennessee has answered the nation's call before. Rural Tennessee deserves the opportunity to help answer it again.