A long-idle nuclear power plant site in Hawkins County is set to play a new role in America’s clean energy supply chain. Pivotal Manufacturing Partners has leased nearly 140 acres at the former Phipps Bend Nuclear Plant site to Highland Materials, which plans to build a $1 billion advanced polysilicon manufacturing facility.
The Phipps Bend site was originally developed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in the late 1970s as part of a nuclear power project backed by more than $2.6 billion in federal investment. That plan was abandoned in the early 1980s following the Three Mile Island nuclear accident. While the plant was never completed, the site retains substantial utility infrastructure and sits within TVA’s transmission network, key factors in Highland Materials’ decision to locate its operations there.
The Future of Clean Energy
Highland Materials’ planned facility will have an initial annual production capacity of 16,000 metric tons (MT) of polysilicon, with the ability to expand to 20,000 MT at full capacity. That output is equivalent to enough material for about 11 gigawatts of solar cells. The company says it will use a proprietary production technology designed to be more environmentally friendly than traditional Siemens or Fluidized Bed Reactor (FBR) processes, while matching the performance of electronic-grade silicon.
The project has secured $255.6 million in Section 48C tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The program supports advanced energy projects that strengthen domestic supply chains, drive investment in energy communities, and lower clean energy costs. All $10 billion in available 48C credits have now been allocated.
Highland’s site will add to Phipps Bend’s growing clean energy footprint. In 2017, United Renewable Energy and Birdseye Renewable Energy installed nearly 3,000 solar panels outside the site as part of TVA’s Distributed Solar Solutions Program. That project currently sells electricity to Holston Electric.
“Partnering with Pivotal Manufacturing Partners is a critical step needed to move the Highland polysilicon manufacturing facility forward at Phipps Bend,” said Highland Materials CEO Richard Rast. “We are excited about the market opportunity, the job creation, the capital investment, and the continued community and state level support this project enjoys.”
Construction is expected to begin soon, with the plant aiming to serve both domestic and international solar markets.