Amazon-Dominion North Anna SMR MOU: NRC Hearing Requests Due Nov 10

Dominion Energy's North Anna early site permit renewal faces a Nov. 10, 2026 deadline for hearing requests at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); Amazon agreed to explore a small modular reactor (SMR) of at least 300 MW near the site.

No new filing prompted this project file. The Nov. 10 deadline, set in an NRC notice published in the Federal Register on Sept. 11, is the next dated step on a followed Amazon project that Voltgrid had not yet profiled. The permit is a site approval that a future North Anna construction permit or combined licence application can cite while it is valid; Dominion has told World Nuclear News the renewal is housekeeping that keeps its options open.

The supply picture is thin and should be read that way. Amazon said in October 2024 that the SMR project it agreed to explore with Dominion would bring at least 300 MW to the region; it gave no MWe basis and no design. Dominion described the arrangement as a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore new development structures. The two companies' releases state no reactor design, purchase commitment, price or construction decision, and Dominion told World Nuclear News in August that it has made no commitment to expand nuclear at North Anna.

The Technology: No SMR Design Chosen Yet

There is no technology yet, and that is the point of the permit. An early site permit (ESP) is the NRC's ruling that a site is suitable for new reactors, issued before anyone picks a design. World Nuclear News describes it as technology neutral: the owner can choose the reactor later and cite the permit in a construction permit or combined licence application, and holding one reduces the risk of delay in licensing and construction.

North Anna, in Louisa County about 40 miles north-northwest of Richmond, already runs two 944 MWe pressurised water reactors, licensed to 2058 and 2060, according to World Nuclear News. Dominion also holds combined licence NPF-103 for a third unit using the Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) design, granted in 2017. In its renewal filing Dominion told the NRC it has placed that licence in deferred status, and it said it may pursue a design other than the ESBWR. In July 2024 Dominion asked SMR vendors for proposals on the site's feasibility; it said then that the request was not a commitment to build.

The Deal and the Money Behind Amazon's MOU

The Amazon side rests on one document: the MOU announced on Oct. 16, 2024 alongside Amazon's Energy Northwest agreement and its investment in X-energy. Dominion said the MOU would explore new commercial and financing structures that limit cost and development risk for its customers and capital providers. Neither company has disclosed an amount, a term or a power purchase agreement, and nothing in the releases binds Amazon to buy power or Dominion to build.

Dominion framed the case on demand. It said in the same release that power demand in Virginia is growing by more than 5% a year and is expected to double within 15 years.

Licensing and Timeline for the ESP-003 Renewal

The NRC issued ESP-003 on Nov. 27, 2007, and it expires on Nov. 27, 2027. Dominion filed on July 14, 2026 to extend it by 20 years beyond that date, or 20 years from issuance if later. The NRC docketed the application on Sept. 4 under docket 52-008, a step that starts the technical review and, the agency notes, says nothing about whether the renewal will be granted. NextEra Energy and Dominion applied to the NRC on July 15, 2026 for approval of an indirect transfer of licences that include this permit and the Unit 3 combined licence, and the NRC said on Aug. 27 it is considering that application, so the permit holder is party to a pending change of control. Dominion also asked for an exemption so the whole permit is renewed, including the parts already folded into the Unit 3 licence.

The NRC's own schedule targets a draft safety evaluation in December 2026, a draft environmental impact statement in March 2027, the final safety evaluation in July 2027 and the final environmental statement in August 2027. All are targets. A renewed permit would still be only a site approval; an SMR at North Anna would need a design choice, a construction permit or combined licence application, and an NRC decision on it, none of which appears in the NRC's notice or Dominion's filings.

What It Means for Amazon's SMR Program

On Voltgrid's reading, North Anna is the least advanced of the SMR projects Amazon backs with utilities. In Washington, Amazon says its Energy Northwest agreement enables four advanced SMRs expected to generate roughly 320 MW in a first phase, with an option to 960 MW in total. In Indiana, AEP and X-energy are studying a 960 MW Xe-100 plant with Amazon funding development and intending to buy the power. Virginia has neither a chosen design nor a stated purchase intent. Meanwhile Dominion is adding firm capacity by other routes, including a 3 GW gas plant in Cumberland County that won local approval.

That suggests the North Anna option is best read as a site kept licensable for a future decision, not as megawatts Amazon or Dominion can yet plan around.

What to Watch After the Nov. 10 Deadline

Amazon reports third-quarter results on Oct. 29, 2026; any remark on its nuclear program is still to come. The hearing-request window closes on Nov. 10, and if a petition is filed, the NRC rules on it and, if appropriate, issues a notice of hearing. The NRC targets its draft safety evaluation for December 2026. The current permit expires Nov. 27, 2027, and Voltgrid found no public outcome of Dominion's 2024 SMR vendor request.