TNC Startup Proposes First Major US Nuclear Reactor in Over a Decade for South Carolina

A new nuclear startup is preparing to break a decade-long construction drought in the US power sector. The Nuclear Co. (TNC), a full-stack project integrator that emerged from stealth last year, is set to propose building one of the first large-scale conventional reactors in the United States since the early 2010s. This move is a direct response to surging electricity demand, a pressure point largely driven by the explosive growth of AI data centers that is exposing the limits of the current grid.

According to reports, TNC could unveil plans as soon as this week for a new AP1000 reactor at one of three potential sites in South Carolina. The company, which opened its primary engineering and construction office in Columbia, SC, last year, operates with a 'design-once, build-many' methodology and has fresh Series A funding. The project has already garnered political support, with Governor Henry McMaster welcoming the expected creation of over 100 jobs and its alignment with a targeted 6-gigawatt fleet rollout for the state.

The proposal signals a potential inflection point for the US nuclear industry, often discussed as a 'renaissance' but slow to materialize. South Carolina, which already generates over half its electricity from nuclear power, represents a strategic beachhead. If advanced, this project would test whether new players with integrated models can navigate the financial, regulatory, and construction complexities that have stalled other large-scale nuclear ambitions, offering a critical new baseload power option in an era of unprecedented demand growth.