The Nuclear Company has proposed a Kentucky nuclear campus with an initial two-reactor phase and room for six, in a state with no nuclear capacity in 2024, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says.
The company calls the project Prosperity One and estimates the full six-reactor campus at 6.6 gigawatts. It says the first two units would proceed only if feasibility checks and permitting are completed. The company has not announced an expected completion date.
The Nuclear Company says it controls land in Lewis County and is working with landowner Sam Howard. Its 2028 construction target depends on federal approvals. Planned work includes site and ground studies, environmental assessments, transmission planning and preparation for federal licensing. The company has not disclosed a construction budget, financing, electricity buyers or a date for first power.
Kentucky had no nuclear generating capacity in 2024, while coal supplied about 67% of the state’s utility-scale electricity generation, EIA data show. The EIA has said expansion of Georgia’s Vogtle plant took 11 years and faced substantial delays and cost overruns.
According to the company, Lewis County intends to apply for Kentucky’s nuclear-ready community designation. The state program calls for public education, a suitable site and formal local support; the designation does not authorize construction. The company projects jobs and tax revenue but has provided no project-specific estimates. It has identified housing, transportation, water use and emergency preparedness as planning issues.
The Kentucky Lantern reported that some residents raised safety concerns and questions about the proposal’s pace and how much notice the public received.
A separate U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rule updating AP1000 design certification is scheduled to take effect Dec. 28, unless significant adverse comments received by Nov. 13 lead to its withdrawal. The NRC says the certification does not authorize a plant’s siting, construction or operation.
