Appalachian Power asks county to begin land‑use conversation for small modular reactor at Joshua Falls

Rob Mann, external affairs manager for Appalachian Power, told the Campbell County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission that the company is initiating local planning conversations for a potential small modular reactor (SMR) at Joshua Falls. Mann said the project announcement began in November 2024 and that the company is in early site studies and the NRC early‑site permit process; he stressed the presentation was not a request for project approval but an effort to align local land‑use considerations with ongoing federal reviews.

Mann outlined public‑engagement steps the company has taken — a project website, an open house attended by roughly 115 community members, on‑site signage, direct mailings and meetings with regional stakeholders and tribal representatives — and said the company would continue public outreach throughout the multi‑year development process. "Tonight is not a request for project approval. Rather tonight, we hope to begin an important planning conversation on how this potential project can fit into Campbell County's long term land use vision," Mann said. He also said each SMR unit can generate "300 to 500 megawatts," and that the company was looking at placing three or four units on the site, while noting final technology and unit count remain under study and subject to NRC processes.