Cardinal Conversation: Amherst County's proposed Small Modular Reactor power plant

RADIO IQ | By Fred Echols

Published October 12, 2026 at 4:01 AM EDT

A North Carolina developer is proposing a plan to build a Small Modular Reactor power plant in eastern Amherst County.

If approved, the plant would have the capacity to generate up to 650 megawatts of electricity. That's about two-thirds the output of a traditional nuclear power plant.

Reporter Matt Busse is covering the story for Cardinal News, and he spoke with Fred Echols.

Cardinal News is a non-profit, online, independent news organization covering Southwest and Southside Virginia.