Tennessee issues first fusion-specific license to Type One Energy

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has issued the state’s first fusion-specific byproduct material license to Type One Energy. This marks the first time a state has utilized a regulatory framework specifically designed for nuclear fusion machines, following a decision by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to delegate such oversight to states.

The license facilitates Project Infinity, a planned 400-megawatt fusion power plant utilizing stellarator technology. The facility is intended for construction at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) former Bull Run fossil plant site in Clinton, Tennessee. Unlike tokamak designs, the stellarator uses complex, three-dimensional magnetic fields to confine plasma without relying on a large electrical current.

Type One Energy plans to break ground on the first phase of the project this year, with a target for full startup by 2034. The project is being developed in collaboration with the TVA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the University of Tennessee, with the site intended to serve as a broader fusion development campus.