HOLLYWOOD, Ala. — Nearly four decades after construction stopped at the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in Jackson County, the long-dormant site is once again drawing attention as a possible location for nuclear power generation.
The Tennessee Valley Authority is currently evaluating the Bellefonte property for potential future development as electricity demand continues to grow across the Tennessee Valley.
Recent discussions have centered on small modular reactors, or SMRs, which represent a newer generation of nuclear technology significantly different from the large reactors originally planned for Bellefonte.
TVA is reportedly in discussions with GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy that could potentially bring BWRX-300 small modular reactors to the Bellefonte property.
The BWRX-300 is a 300-megawatt small modular boiling water reactor designed to provide nuclear generation on a smaller scale than traditional nuclear facilities.
The possibility of reviving nuclear generation at Bellefonte has received strong support from U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, whose Fifth Congressional District includes Jackson County.
Strong told 1819 News this week that he believes the site could become an important part of meeting the region’s increasing electricity needs.
“This site will be a vital asset, and its development will help meet our region’s growing demand for increased power generation for decades to come,” Strong said.
Strong also pointed to North Alabama’s workforce and the Trump administration’s push for additional domestic energy production as reasons he believes the region is positioned for new nuclear development.
“North Alabama is prepared to lead the resurgence of American energy dominance,” Strong told 1819 News.
Strong has advocated for nuclear generation at Bellefonte since being elected to Congress in 2022. His concerns have included whether TVA has sufficient generating capacity to meet current and future demand, particularly following rolling blackouts that affected portions of North Alabama during severe winter weather.
The potential revival is drawing mixed reactions locally.
Some Jackson County residents see renewed development at Bellefonte as an opportunity to bring jobs, investment and additional economic activity to the area. Others have expressed concerns about nuclear development and the potential effects a project could have on the surrounding community.
A Plant That Never Produced Power
Bellefonte’s history stretches back more than half a century.
TVA began construction of two nuclear units at the site in the 1970s. Work continued for years before construction was halted in 1988 amid changing projections for electricity demand and other factors.
Despite billions of dollars being invested in the facility, neither reactor was completed and Bellefonte never generated commercial electricity.
Several attempts have been made over the decades to revive or redevelop the property.
TVA eventually declared the approximately 1,600-acre Bellefonte property surplus and attempted to sell it at auction in 2016. Nuclear Development LLC submitted the winning $111 million bid with plans to complete the facility, but the transaction ultimately was not completed and TVA retained ownership of the property.
The latest proposal would take a substantially different approach.
Rather than completing the reactors originally designed for Bellefonte, discussions now involve potentially developing modern small modular reactors at the site.
The renewed interest also comes as electricity demand is expected to increase across the Tennessee Valley and other portions of the Southeast, placing additional emphasis on developing new sources of reliable power generation.
Bellefonte is also already a TVA-owned property with much of the infrastructure associated with a major energy site.
No Final Decision Yet
Despite the renewed attention, TVA emphasizes that a decision to build new generating facilities at Bellefonte has not been made.
TVA says it continues to preserve the property for potential future development as part of its long-term responsibility to meet the Tennessee Valley’s energy needs.
Routine site preparation and environmental assessments are underway, but TVA says those activities are intended to maintain the property and keep future options available rather than indicating that a new plant has received final approval.
Any new nuclear project would also require additional planning, regulatory review and other approvals before construction could begin.
For now, Bellefonte remains what it has been since the late 1980s — an unfinished nuclear site overlooking the Tennessee River in Jackson County.
But after decades of uncertainty and several unsuccessful attempts at revival, growing electricity demand and advances in nuclear technology have once again raised the possibility that Bellefonte could someday generate the power it was originally built to produce.